Feb 12, 2025; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) looks to drive past Atlanta Hawks guard Dyson Daniels (5) in the second quarter at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images / Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images
The Atlanta Hawks and the New York Knicks square off tomorrow afternoon in Atlanta, and one of the big storylines ahead of the game is the status of Knicks point guard Jalen Brunson. Brunson has not played since injuring his ankle in an overtime loss to the Los Angeles Lakers in March, but it looks like he has a chance to do so vs the Hawks tomorrow afternoon.
Jalen Brunson (ankle), Mitchell Robinson (ankle), and Cam Payne (ankle) are all listed as questionable tomorrow for the Knicks.
Brunson is their best player and played at an All-NBA level this season. He scored 36 points in their last matchup vs the Hawks and 34 in the one prior to that. Keep an eye out for his official injury status tomorrow and leading up to tip-off at 3:00 p.m. ET on Saturday.
The NBA regular season is winding down and playoff spots are getting filled. With just a little more than a week to go, there is a lot to be decided, especially in the Western Conference. In the Eastern Conference, there have already been four playoff spots clinched, and the play-in teams are nearly set. Cleveland, Boston, New York, and Indiana all have locked up spots inside the top six, while Detroit and Milwaukee are on their way to doing so and the Pistons could lock up their spot tonight.
Here are the postseason scenarios for today:
1. Cleveland can clinch the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference with a win and loss by the Celtics. The Cavs are on the road against the Spurs tonight and Boston hosts the Phoenix Suns, who are without Kevin Durant. This one seems unlikely, but Cleveland is still the favorite to be have home-court advantage throughout the Eastern Conference playoffs.
2. Detroit clinches a playoff spot with a win. The Pistons have been the best turnaround story all year in the NBA and if they can go on the road and beat the Toronto Raptors (who very much want to lose this game), they will get their spot in the top six.
3. The other thing to watch is that if Detroit wins, they will not only clinch a playoff spot, but they will also lock the Orlando Magic into the play-in tournament. Miami and Chicago have already been locked into the play-in tournament. It is highly unlikely that either Orlando or Atlanta can get into the top six, and the play-in tournament teams in the Eastern Conference are very likely to be Orlando, Atlanta, Miami, and Chicago, in some order.
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