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OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA – MARCH 29: Miles McBride #2 of the New York Knicks brings the ball up court around Luguentz Dort #5 of the Oklahoma City Thunder during the second half at Paycom Center on March 29, 2026 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
Despite losing to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Sunday night and seeing the return of Miles McBride cut short, the New York Knicks could clinch the 2026 NBA Playoffs on Monday with a Philadelphia 76ers loss to the Miami Heat.
While the Knicks did fall to the Thunder in their last game, they still sit third in the East, and with the amount of wins they already have, seeing a 76ers loss would automatically vault them into the postseason for this year.
Both the Detroit Pistons and Boston Celtics, the other two top teams in the Eastern Conference standings, have already clinched the playoffs, but now the Knicks can too if their rival falls on Monday against the Heat.
New York Knicks Can Clinch Playoffs Tonight With 76ers Loss
TARRYTOWN, NEW YORK – SEPTEMBER 23: Head coach Mike Brown of the New York Knicks speaks to the media at Knicks Training Facility on September 23, 2025 in Tarrytown, New York.
Per the NBA, a Philadelphia loss would clinch the playoffs for the Knicks.
Holding a 48-27 record, New York is 1.5 games ahead of the Cleveland Cavaliers and two games behind the Celtics in the standings.
If things go as planned, the Knicks will likely stay in that third seed for the playoffs, automatically getting home-court advantage in the first round, but that won’t be guaranteed for the rest of the postseason should the other higher seeds advance as well.
Still, despite losing to the team with the best record in the NBA in the Thunder on Sunday, the 76ers losing would mean they can’t reach a certain amount of wins, subsequently meaning the Knicks could lose the rest of their games this season and still get into the playoffs.
While previously New York had struggled to even finish above .500 through much of this century, they’ve made the playoffs four of the last five years, also making postseason action every single year Jalen Brunson has been on the team.
In 2024-25, the Knicks made the conference finals for the first time in 25 years. While they lost to the Indiana Pacers in six games, this roster has hope they can reach that same peak, and even make the Finals for just the ninth time in franchise history, on the hunt for their first championship since 1973.
Miles McBride Injury Update
GettyNEW YORK, NEW YORK – NOVEMBER 05: Miles McBride #2 of the New York Knicks looks on during the third quarter against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Madison Square Garden on November 05, 2025 in New York City.
While the Knicks potentially clinching the playoffs is one thing, having all of their key players for a deep run is another, and right now, they have some injury concerns facing the team.
In New York’s loss to Oklahoma City, they saw the return of McBride, who had been out nearly two months after having surgery on a sports hernia.
In the third quarter of the game, the backup guard fell diving for a loose ball and came up grabbing his groin. McBride was helped to the locker room, and didn’t return.
After missing 28 straight games, the 25-year-old finished Sunday with no points, one rebound, one assist, and one block in 11 minutes.
According to Kristian Winfield of the New York Daily News, head coach Mike Brown didn’t know the full extent of McBride’s injury after the game.
“Mike Brown said he’s unsure if Miles McBride’s injury was an aggravation of his sports hernia surgery,” the insider wrote on X. “‘I haven’t talked to medical yet so I don’t know how it is, but it’s tough. He’s worked his tail off to be back and I don’t think he made a shot in the first half but he gave us a lift. You felt his presence and he made us deeper.’”
There have yet to be any further updates on McBride’s injury status, a brutal blow in his first game back.
The Knicks will need him, and Landry Shamet, currently also on the team’s injury report, back in time for the playoffs for help in making another deep run.
Eli Gregorski is a sports journalist covering the NBA for Heavy Sports. He has years of sports writing experience covering the NBA, NFL, college football and basketball, international soccer, and Formula One. He graduated from the University of Colorado Boulder, where he was the assistant sports editor for the award-winning CU Independent student publication. More about Eli Gregorski
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