NBA playoff picture: Knicks look to keep No. 2 seed hopes alive vs. Celtics

Critical NBA playoff picture matchups were held on Wednesday night, as clarity was provided at the top of the Western Conference. With the Denver Nuggets taking down the Minnesota Timberwolves, Nikola Jokic and Co. took one step closer to retaining the 1-seed in the conference. However, there is still a lot unknown at the top of the Eastern Conference, specifically regarding where every team falls in the standings behind the Boston Celtics. While the Milwaukee Bucks currently occupy the 2-seed in the East, the New York Knicks have an extremely important game against the Celtics on the NBA's Thursday schedule.

As things stand right now, the Knicks are 1.5 games behind the Bucks for the 2-seed with three games left on their schedule, including Thursday night's game in Boston. Realistically, the Knicks can still move up and claim the title as the second-best team in the East this season, despite the Bucks owning the head-to-head tiebreaker over them.

Milwaukee has lost six of their last nine games, and they have a tough battle against the Oklahoma City Thunder approaching on their schedule. By the end of Friday, the Knicks may just be the new 2-seed in the conference. However, everything starts with this matchup against the Celtics on Thursday, a team New York has struggled against.

The Knicks have played the Celtics four times this season as a result of running into them during the inaugural NBA In-Season Tournament. No success has been found for New York against the league's best, as they have gone 0-4 and been outscored by an average of 11.0 points per game.

The last time these two teams met was right after the trade deadline in February. Since then, the Knicks have definitely changed and become a stronger team, especially on the interior with the returns of OG Anunoby and Mitchell Robinson. Of course, Jalen Brunson's offensive production can't be overlooked either. Brunson has been the hottest player in the league in recent weeks, recording at least 35 points in four straight games, including back-to-back games with 43 points and 45 points.

After recording back-to-back 40-point games for the second time this season, Brunson joined Bernard King (1984-85) and Patrick Ewing (1989-90) as the only players in franchise history to achieve such a feat, per team release.

It is not hard to say that the Knicks are playing their best basketball of the season right now, with Brunson leading the charge. With an opportunity presented to them and the Celtics possibly looking to rest some of their players, now could be the time for the Knicks to rise and fight for the No. 2 seed. The NBA playoff picture and standings could look much different, especially in the Eastern Conference, after Thursday's small slate of games.

Bulls vs. Pistons (7:00 PM ET)

At this point, there really isn't much weight to any game the Chicago Bulls play. They are locked into the 9-seed vs. 10-seed game, and with the Atlanta Hawks losing on Wednesday night, the Bulls can clinch the 9-seed in the Eastern Conference. Chicago owns the head-to-head tiebreaker over Atlanta this season. The Bulls are going to need to defeat the Hawks and then pick up a win likely against either the Philadelphia 76ers or Miami Heat just to earn the 8-seed. At that point, they would draw a first-round matchup against the Celtics, a series they would easily lose 4-0.

• The Bulls currently lead the Hawks by 1.5 games for the 9-seed in the East.
• Chicago can clinch the 9-seed with a win.
• A loss to the Detroit Pistons moves the Bulls' lead for the 9-seed to only one game.
• Chicago owns the tiebreaker over Atlanta.

Knicks vs. Celtics (7:30 PM ET)

The marquee game in the Eastern Conference on Thursday night features the Knicks and Celtics, two in-division rivals. While Boston is locked into their spot at the top of the NBA playoff picture, the Knicks are still in the hunt for the 2-seed. Just 1.5 games behind the Bucks, the Knicks could move within a game of Milwaukee with a huge road win over the Celtics. However, Boston is 35-3 at TD Garden this season, so things are not looking good for New York heading into this one. A loss by the Knicks will complicate the middle of the Eastern Conference playoff picture.

• The Knicks trail the No. 2 Bucks by 1.5 games and lead the No. 4 Cleveland Cavaliers by a half-game.
• A win against Boston moves the Knicks within a game of the Bucks for the 2-seed.
• A loss to Boston pushes the Knicks into a tie with Cleveland for the 3-seed.
• New York's only tiebreaker is against the Cavs.

Warriors vs. Blazers (10:00 PM ET)

At 44-35, the Golden State Warriors find themselves in unfamiliar territory as the 10-seed in the Western Conference. Early season struggles result in their decline, but the Warriors have won eight of their last nine games, including a notable win over the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday. The Warriors are just a half-game behind the Lakers for the 9-seed and can jump Los Angeles with a win over the Blazers on Thursday due to the 3-1 head-to-head tiebreaker they own over L.A. The only thing that matters for Golden State is winning, as they control their own fate in terms of moving up in the NBA playoff picture.

• The Warriors trail the Lakers by a half-game for the 9-seed in the West.
• A win over the Blazers and a loss by the Kings create a three-way tie for the 8-seed in the West. In this scenario, the Kings would momentarily hold onto the 8-seed, the Warriors would move up to No. 9, and the Lakers would fall to No. 10 in the West.
• A loss to the Blazers puts the Warriors a full-game behind the Lakers for the 9-seed.

Pelicans vs. Kings (10:00 PM ET)

In the Western Conference, this matchup between the New Orleans Pelicans and Sacramento Kings could really alter the NBA playoff picture. The Kings' recent losing streak has pushed them into the play-in region of the standings, and the Pelicans are barely holding onto the 6-seed right now. A loss by either side results in the Western Conference playoff picture changing, which is why this game holds a lot of weight, especially regarding the play-in tournament. The Pelicans won all four of their matchups against the Kings earlier this season, giving them the tiebreaker this season should these two teams wind up being tied at the end of the year.

• The Pelicans can't move past the 6-seed in the West. New Orleans currently leads the No. 7 Phoenix Suns by a half-game.
• The Kings lead the No. 9 Lakers by a half-game and trail the No. 7 Suns by 1.5 games.
• A win over Sacramento puts the Pelicans one full game ahead of the No. 7 Suns with two games remaining.
• A loss to Sacramento moves the Pelicans into a tie for the 6-seed with the Suns.
• Phoenix owns a 2-1 head-to-head tiebreaker over New Orleans.
• A win over New Orleans moves the Kings one game behind the No. 7 Suns in the play-in region of the standings.
• A loss to New Orleans and a win by Golden State create a three-way tie for the 8-seed in the West. In this scenario, the Kings would momentarily hold onto the 8-seed, the Warriors would move up to No. 9, and the Lakers would fall to No. 10 in the West.
• Sacramento is locked into a play-in game with a loss to New Orleans.