So then, say Knicks win 3 they are 36-46. The Hawks just have to go 4-4 and the Knicks are out If the Knicks win 2 the Hawks just need to go 3-5. Altanta plays Cavs / Pacers / Pistons / Celtics / Nets / Heat / Bobcats / Bucks, they can find 3 wins in that group. Knicks will have to keep playing at a high level
Jim Dolan ranked dead last (by far) as worst NBA owner: http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/10710924/2014-nba-front-office-rankings-owners
It really doesn't make a difference. 1 game back is 1 game back. Win% is what matters and the Knicks are now over the Hawks despite being one game back in the loss column. All that sillyness that those clowns on ESPN radio blabber about is just to create drama make it sound like a worse predicament that it actually is. Up one in the win column, down one in the loss column is a virtual tie, but the Knicks edge because they've played 2 more games. Atlanta's playing sub par ball right now. They could easily lose out or come close to it. Knicks just need to stay the course now. Beat a few more decent teams and we are in.
yes it does make a difference. The Hawks and Knicks aren't going to finish with different number of games played. That's why while the Knicks are ahead right now, it's more important the Hawks have a game on them and the Knicks are 1 behind in the loss. If the Knicks and Hawks played the game amount of games and the Knicks had the higher win %, then if the Knicks and Hawks win the same amount of games down the stretch, the Knicks make the playoffs and still have a higher win %. Since the Hawks have another game the Knicks don't, even though the Knicks have the lead in winning % now, if ATL and NY win the same amount of games down the stretch, they tie, the Knicks do not hold their lead on winning %. That's why the loss column matters, because we still need to rely on ATL losing by behind in L column even though we have a higher winning % right now. It's not made up drama. It matter because it still means the Knicks need to rely on ATL.
It's impossible for the Knicks to win the tiebreaker, it's either finish ahead of Altanta by 1+ or go home
So tying them in the L column doesn't matter, we need to be 1 up on the team. Cleveland is sneakily in it too, but I think we have the tiebreaker over them
Bradley Beal has the Knicks number. This puts the Knicks two back in the loss column with 5 games left. ATL has 7 games left. The Knicks do not have the tiebreaker according to Mike Breen soooo hypothetically Knicks win out, Atlanta needs to drop 3 games. Knicks 4-1, Atlanta needs to go 3-4. Knicks go 3-2, Atlanta needs to go 2-5. Knicks 2-3, Atlanta goes 1-6. Also I thought ATL only had one more game than us left, it's two.
The Hawks two extra games are next Tuesday and Wednesday, so after Wednesday next week both teams will have played the same # of games
Atlanta remaining schedule @ IND, vs DET, vs BOS, @ BK, vs MIA, vs CHA, @MIL Knicks remaining schedule @ MIA, @ TOR, vs CHI, @ BK, vs TOR Let's assume Kyle Lowery rests until the playoffs and say Chicago throws up a clunker of a game and what not to get the Knicks to 3 wins and 2 losses. Then Atlanta needs 5 losses. We give them a MIL win, so one of DET and BOS will need to "upset" ATL and the other teams take care of business for ATL to hit 2-5.
In the middle of March I said people should turn down their optimism because we aren't making the playoffs. I'm just updating the playoff race. It's the only new thing going on for the Knicks.
