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Knicks vs. Wizards: How & Who to Watch With a Chance to Clinch Playoff Spot

The New York Knicks will have a chance to officially clinch a playoff spot against the depleted Washington Wizards on Sunday night at Madison Square Garden.

Geoff Magliocchetti

USA TODAY SPORTS
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If you want a job done right, you often have to do it yourself.

That's exactly what the New York Knicks have a chance to do on Sunday evening: denied a playoff-clinching "x" next to their name on the NBA standings thanks to Miami's win over Dallas on Saturday, the Knicks have a chance to seal their postseason fate when they face the Washington Wizards at Madison Square Garden. 

Despite the lack of a clinch, New York is riding relatively high despite the loss of All-Star Julius Randle. Behind a career-best showing from Jalen Brunson on Friday in Cleveland, the post-Randle era got off to a brilliant start as the Knicks took a 130-116 offensive explosion. The Knicks now enter Sunday's game having won three in a row and have an inside track on securing the fifth seed, as they're 2.5 games ahead of sixth-place Brooklyn.

A chance to clinch comes against the reeling Wizards, whose postseason dreams are on life support: entering Sunday action, Washington is the first team out of the Eastern Play-In Tournament, three games behind 10th-place Chicago with five games left on each side. An old friend won't be around to see the Knicks clinch, as Kristaps Porzingis is one of several notable Wizards sitting out. The former New York savior is dealing with an illness while Bradley Beal (knee) and Kyle Kuzma (ankle) will also sit out. Washington fell out of playoff consideration by going 5-11 in March, capping things off with a 116-109 loss at home to Orlando on Friday. 

The Knicks will go for a season series victory against Washington on Sunday, having taken two of the first three meetings this season. It would be their third consecutive series win over the Wizards, who previously dropped a 115-109 decision at home on Feb. 24.

What: Washington Wizards (34-43) @ New York Knicks (45-33)

Where: Madison Square Garden, New York, NY

When/Watch: Sunday, 6 p.m. ET, MSG/MSG Go

Who's Favored: NYK -12

Keep An Eye On: Quentin Grimes

As the Knicks inch closer to the postseason, it's worth recognizing the efforts of their homegrown talent. No one's perhaps changed the narrative on their metropolitan careers better than the frontcourt group of Quentin Grimes and Immanuel Quickley.

Quickley's performance has drawn Sixth Man of the Year consideration while Grimes, who began the year as a de facto 12th man, has not only made himself a starting five staple but he's ramping up production as the games become more important. Over the past five games, Grimes is averaging 19.6 points and sinking 4.6 triples a game at a success rate of just under 49 percent. A clutch performance on Wednesday against Miami saw him mask the loss of Randle, earning 23 points in the 101-92 win.

Coming up big in the vital games is the culmination of a promise Grimes previously made when he was a silver lining in New York losses: this streak began when he posted consecutive performances of at least 20 points during a not-so-sunny Floridian road trip.

"I’m definitely coming in with a mindset to be ultra-aggressive," Grimes said after a loss in Orlando on Mar. 23, per Peter Botte of the New York Post. "Shoot the open shots, make the right plays, just attack, drive and kick and make plays for myself and my teammates. (I'm) just being aggressive, knowing I can make the right reads for me and for my teammates.”

Wizard to Watch: Corey Kispert

While Washington is still mathematically alive for postseason play, the fact they're resting stars and that Game 82 is looming shows they've more or less opted to wave the white flag on this season. Fans will likely have no issue seeing the Wizards embark on a mini-tank (currently owning the eighth-best odds for the top pick on the NBA Draft Lottery board), but several younger players have a chance to shine and prove why they should be allowed to stick around for any potential glory days ahead, a concept that the modern Knicks are, alas, far too familiar with.

Headlining the efforts of Washington youth is Kispert, who has taken full advantage of what's basically been consequence-free basketball. The 15th pick from last year's draft set career-bests in scoring three times in March, including a 27-point tally in Friday's aforementioned loss to the Magic. All of his tallies came from three-point range (sinking just under six on a 58 percent success rate over the last four games), leading Wizards head coach Wes Unseld Jr. to praise his ability to get open and move around without the ball.

"He was primarily a spot-guy last year," Unseld remarked in Friday's aftermath, per Tyler Byrum of NBC Sports Washington. "Now he's moving, searching around. I think that's great early in the possession. He's finding space and finding those windows and all those drive-and-kicks and he seems to be getting the shot off quicker which that's a heck of a weapon. (He's) obviously shooting at a very efficient rate so it's a positive."

Prediction

The Knicks have been bestowed a rather bittersweet gift: once they clinch a spot in the top six, they'll have a handful of games to tinker and experiment with the lineup and prepare for potential playoff games without Randle. Their curious position in the standings (far enough ahead of sixth, too far from fourth) will also turn the final regular season games into de facto dress rehearsals. 

That chance to clinch comes against a depleted, reeling Wizards team merely counting down the days until Easter Sunday to be put out of its misery. Expect the Knicks to take full advantage.

Knicks 111, Wizards 92

Geoff Magliocchetti is on Twitter @GeoffJMags

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Geoff Magliocchetti
GEOFF MAGLIOCCHETTI

Editor-In-Chief at All Knicks

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