Breaking down possible Knicks first-round playoff opponents

The season finale at MSG means nothing for the Knicks, who are locked into the third seed with no wiggle room.

Not surprisingly, they’re sitting four of their five starters Sunday — minus consecutive-games king Mikal Bridges — against the Hornets, who remain motivated to secure the ninth seed.

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But the out-of-town scoreboard warrants close monitoring for the Knicks. Their first-round opponent will probably be the Raptors, but it’s not set in stone and ultimately hinges on up to four results — all sharing the Knicks’ 6 p.m. tipoff.

Here’s a breakdown of scenarios:

Most likely

The Knicks draw the Raptors in the first round.

Og Anunoby drives to the basket between Toronto Raptors guard A.J. Lawson and Toronto Raptors forward Brandon Ingram during the first quarter in a game against the Toronto Raptors on April 10, 2026. JASON SZENES FOR THE NEW YORK POST

This happens if on Sunday:

Toronto beats Brooklyn; Atlanta beats Miami

Or

Toronto beats Brooklyn; Miami beats Atlanta; Orlando beats Boston

Or

Brooklyn beats Toronto; Miami beats Atlanta; Orlando beats Boston

The tanking Nets are almost certain to lose to the Raptors even though it probably won’t help their lottery odds (Brooklyn can only catch the Pacers at the bottom of the standings, and Indiana would also have to lose to the Pistons). So assuming that result, the Raptors will clinch the fifth seed if Atlanta beats Miami (not likely since the Hawks are resting players) OR the Magic beat the Celtics (which is a likely outcome since Boston is resting players).

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The Knicks can feel fairly safe scouting the Raptors.

Possible but don’t count on it

The Knicks draw the Hawks in the first round.

This happens if on Sunday:

Toronto beats Brooklyn; Miami beats Atlanta; Boston beats Orlando

Tough to see this happening because it requires a result — Boston beating Orlando — that goes against the odds. The Magic are highly motivated to win Sunday since there’s a chance they can move out of a play-in spot (while the Celtics, who are locked into the No. 2 seed, are resting several players).

Why would this happen if three teams could tie for sixth in…

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Publish date : 2026-04-11 23:25:00

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