Knicks climbing East
The New York Knicks are pushing for a top‑two seed in the Eastern Conference — their improved 3‑point shooting and tightened defense under coach Mike Brown have analysts calling them one of the best‑prepared teams for a deep postseason run Are the Knicks better prepared for a deep playoff run under Mike Brown? - The Athletic. That surge matters for seeding and matchup math as the regular season winds down — Bleacher Report’s standings breakdown factors the Knicks into several favorable bracket permutations NBA Playoff Picture 2026, Standings, Bracket Predictions After Warriors vs. Knicks.
The Knicks are 42-25 this season and sit third in the Eastern Conference, 6.0 games behind the Pistons for first place. (statmuse.com) New York’s team 3-point percentage sits about 37.4% on the year, which ranks fourth league‑wide and explains a big part of the offense’s lift. (statmuse.com) Defensively the club’s season defensive rating is 113.1 (7th in the NBA), while their March defensive rating has fallen to roughly 109.4, signaling a noticeable month‑to‑month tightening. (statmuse.com) Mike Brown was officially hired as head coach in July 2025 and arrives as a two‑time NBA Coach of the Year, a pedigree the franchise cited when making the change. (nba.com) Jalen Brunson is the team’s primary scorer, averaging about 26.2 points per game, while Karl‑Anthony Towns leads the rebounding effort at roughly 11.9 boards per contest. (statmuse.com) Bleacher Report’s recent playoff‑picture piece folded the Knicks into several favorable bracket permutations and noted that, after the Warriors game, New York had moved to within a game of Boston for the No. 2 seed in its scenarios. (bleacherreport.com)
