The Knicks are probably playing the Celtics in the first round.

The Celtics beat the Magic tonight while the Bucks lost to the Bobcats. This matters because it locks the Celtics into the seventh seed-- the sixth, currently owned by Chicago, is out of reach. THAT matters because the Knicks are sitting in second and need only a single win or Indiana loss (both of which could come as soon as Sunday afternoon) to clinch.

What I'm trying to say is it's almost certainly going to be Knicks-Celtics in the first round. Yeah. The Knicks will own home-court advantage, which they tell me is a nice thing to own. We'll obviously discuss the match-up at length once things are set. For now, this is your notice to begin getting duly excited and/or petrified and/or bloodthirsty and/or nauseated. I for one am likely to have tearful flashbacks, night terrors, and possibly a few convulsions over the next week or so. It's gonna be something.

May your spirit guide us to the second round, dejected Paul Pierce: