The New York Knicks have officially locked up a spot in the 2026 NBA postseason, becoming the Eastern Conference’s third team to clinch after the Philadelphia 76ers fell to the Miami Heat on Monday, the league confirmed.
At 48-27, New York sits third in the East and can finish no lower than sixth. The club trails the second-place Boston Celtics by two games following Boston’s Monday loss to the Atlanta Hawks and holds a 1.5-game cushion over the Cleveland Cavaliers in fourth.
The Detroit Pistons were the conference’s first team to secure a top-six seed, followed by the Celtics.
This year’s roster is largely unchanged from the group that reached the 2025 Eastern Conference Finals—the franchise’s deepest run in 25 years—though Mike Brown has taken over coaching duties from Tom Thibodeau.
Team owner James Dolan set a minimum goal of reaching the NBA Finals back in January. Clinching a playoff berth marks the first step toward that objective.
Source: Hoops Wire
