Knicks magic number, playoff picture in East
Landry Fields of the Knicks drives against Utah's Raja Bell. (Mar. 7, 2011) Credit: Jim McIsaac
With Thursday's night blowout win over Memphis, the Knicks maintained their No. 6 spot in the Eastern Conference playoff picture. And, with 15 games left to play, the Knicks' magic number to clinch a playoff spot is down to 8 (they hold the head-to-head tiebreaker over Charlotte with a 2-0 record and one game remaining against the Bobcats).
Below is a look at the standings and the games remaining for the Hawks, Knicks and Sixers as the three teams juggle for positioning.
| EASTERN CONFERENCE | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | Team | Record | GB |
| 1 | Chicago Bulls | 49-18 | -- |
| 2 | Boston Celtics | 48-18 | 0.5 |
| 3 | Miami Heat | 46-22 | 3.5 |
| 4 | Orlando Magic | 43-26 | 7 |
| 5 | Atlanta Hawks | 39-29 | 10.5 |
| 6 | New York Knicks | 35-32 | 14 |
| 7 | Philadelphia 76ers | 35-33 | 14.5 |
| 8 | Indiana Pacers | 29-39 | 20.5 |
| Outside looking in | |||
| 9 | Charlotte Bobcats | 28-39 | 21 |
| 10 | Milwaukee Bucks | 26-41 | 23 |
GAMES REMAINING (key games in italics)
Atlanta (14)
Miami, Detroit, Chicago, Philadelphia, New Jersey, Cleveland, Orlando, Boston, Houston, San Antonio, Indiana, Washington, Miami, Charlotte.
Knicks (15)
Detroit, Milwaukee, Boston, Orlando, Milwaukee, Charlotte, Orlando, New Jersey, Cleveland, Toronto, Philadelphia, New Jersey, Indiana, Chicago, Boston.
Philadelphia (14)
Sacramento, Portland, Atlanta, Miami, Sacramento, Chicago, Houston, New Jersey, Milwaukee, Boston, Knicks, Toronto, Orlando, Detroit.
