The Knicks have surprised everyone this season but they are not happy with just being a feel-good story. While other teams in the Eastern Conference may be downplaying their positioning for the playoffs, New York is doing no such thing.
“We have a mentality there is no seventh, eighth seed for us. It’s strictly focused on the 4-5-6 and making sure we have a solid spot,” Nerlens Noel said (via Marc Berman of the New York Post).
Heading into Wednesday night’s game with Atlanta, the Knicks owned the fifth spot in the East. Noel’s play this season is a major reason why they are able to continue to find success. Mitchell Robinson, who remains out, has missed significant time, and that kind of void could have derailed New York’s campaign. Instead, the franchise is eyeing a home playoff series via earning a top-4 seed.
“We worked really hard this season. It would be tough to put in that much work in and have a play-in thing,” the former Sixers said. “We have to take advantage of the position we’re in now and finish strong through this last stretch of the season so we’re in position to have one of those locked-in spots.”
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