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NBA Power Rankings: Knicks' Loss to Nuggets Looms Large

A loss to the defending champion Denver Nuggets prevented the otherwise surging New York Knicks from making any headway in the latest NBA power rankings.

Jeremy Brener

New York Knicks v Denver Nuggets
New York Knicks v Denver Nuggets / Matthew Stockman/GettyImages
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The New York Knicks are fighting for a top spot in the Eastern Conference and they're trending in the right direction when it comes to that goal: by going 3-1 over the past seven days, the Knicks (43-28) have won six of their past seven, including a 124-99 blowout over the Detroit Pistons on Monday. Entering Tuesday night, New York has sole possession of fourth place in the East and sits a half-game behind Cleveland for third.

Despite their successful week, the lone loss in that span, a 113-100 decision against the defending champion Denver Nuggets, was enough to warrant a minor setback in CBS Sports' latest power rankings, where the Knicks now place seventh after ranking sixth last week.

New York Knicks v Detroit Pistons - NBA
New York Knicks v Detroit Pistons - NBA / Anadolu/GettyImages

"Even the red-hot Knicks couldn't muster enough for a win in Denver, but they beat up on the Nets and Pistons to keep the train rolling," CBS Sports' Colin Ward-Henninger wrote. "The Knicks now have the NBA's third-best net rating since acquiring OG Anunoby, as they continue to fight for a top-three seed -- which would crucially avoid a potential second-round matchup with the Celtics."

Entering the new week, the Knicks' magic number to clinch an automatic playoff spot is 7. New York hasn't held homecourt advantage in a first-round playoff series since 2013, when they ranked second and topped the Boston Celtics in six games.

The week ahead will afford the Knicks a decent opportunity to inch closer to securing a top four spot: they'll face a Toronto Raptors group stuck in an 11-game losing streak on Wednesday (7:30 p.m. ET, MSG) before visiting the San Antonio Spurs two nights later. A formidable challenge awaits the Knicks on Easter Sunday, as the current Western Conference runners-up from Oklahoma City complete their yearly set with New York.

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Jeremy Brener
JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.

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