The Knicks have officially clinched the 5th seed in the Eastern Conference

The New York Knicks didn’t play Tuesday, but it was still a momentous evening for the team. The Brooklyn Nets lost to the Minnesota Timberwolves, meaning the Knicks have officially locked up the No. 5 seed in the Eastern Conference.

Meanwhile, the Cleveland Cavaliers also clinched the No. 4 seed on Tuesday, which means the Knicks know their first-round opponent. Game 1 of their first-round series will kick off in Cleveland. Donovan Mitchell will be there. Jalen Brunson will be there. Hopefully, Julius Randle will be there. It should be a hell of a matchup.

But let’s not get too far ahead of ourselves. This is a moment of celebration. The Knicks finished 11th in the East last season — a truly embarrassing outcome. The conference as a whole was tough as hell in 2022-23, but our guys still managed to climb all the way to fifth. That is a tremendous accomplishment in and of itself.

Congrats!