NBA Power Rankings: Knicks' Loss to Nuggets Looms Large
By Jeremy Brener
The New York Knicks are fighting for a top spot in the Eastern Conference and they're trending in the right direction when it comes to that goal: by going 3-1 over the past seven days, the Knicks (43-28) have won six of their past seven, including a 124-99 blowout over the Detroit Pistons on Monday. Entering Tuesday night, New York has sole possession of fourth place in the East and sits a half-game behind Cleveland for third.
Despite their successful week, the lone loss in that span, a 113-100 decision against the defending champion Denver Nuggets, was enough to warrant a minor setback in CBS Sports' latest power rankings, where the Knicks now place seventh after ranking sixth last week.
"Even the red-hot Knicks couldn't muster enough for a win in Denver, but they beat up on the Nets and Pistons to keep the train rolling," CBS Sports' Colin Ward-Henninger wrote. "The Knicks now have the NBA's third-best net rating since acquiring OG Anunoby, as they continue to fight for a top-three seed -- which would crucially avoid a potential second-round matchup with the Celtics."
Entering the new week, the Knicks' magic number to clinch an automatic playoff spot is 7. New York hasn't held homecourt advantage in a first-round playoff series since 2013, when they ranked second and topped the Boston Celtics in six games.
The week ahead will afford the Knicks a decent opportunity to inch closer to securing a top four spot: they'll face a Toronto Raptors group stuck in an 11-game losing streak on Wednesday (7:30 p.m. ET, MSG) before visiting the San Antonio Spurs two nights later. A formidable challenge awaits the Knicks on Easter Sunday, as the current Western Conference runners-up from Oklahoma City complete their yearly set with New York.