New York Knicks were projected to finish in the lower rungs  when the new NBA season started back in December. Five months later, the Knicks now hold a home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs.

With a 96-92 win over the Boston Celtics on Sunday, the Knicks hold the number 4 seed in the Eastern Conference after finishing their regular season campaign with a 41-31 record.

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The Knicks have clinched a playoff berth for the first time in 8 years, last featuring in the post-season back in 2013. 

Under Tom Thibodeau,  their new head coach, the Knicks boast of an elite defensive record. The franchise’s rank number 4 in the entire league with 107.9 defensive rating, a massive jump from last season’s rank of 23.  They also rank first in both opponent field goal percentage (44.0%) and opponent 3-point percentage (33.8%).  

The main hero for the turnaround has been Julius Randle, who can be said to be almost singlehandedly carrying their offense. He has turned into a knockdown 3-point shooter (41.1 %) and has tremendously improved his playmaking .