After the Magic is gone…

by Guichard Cadet

New York and New Jersey suffered embarrassing losses to the Orlando Magic on consecutive nights this past week. The Nets have yet to play since Saturday night’s game. With only 22 games remaining in the season, the Nets have a slim chance of making the playoffs.

Same for the Knicks, who were able to shrug off the blowout at Orlando. On Sunday, they defeated the Golden State Warriors, improving their “post-trade” record to 4 and 1.

Both teams are well below .500: Nets (26-34), and Knicks (25-34). Though it is borderline wishful thinking, they can make the playoffs.

The Eastern Conference has a log jam once you clear Miami, Detroit, and Washington. From there, no other team has more than 31 wins. With Cleveland and Indiana struggling, this leaves 10 teams fighting for 4 spots. Teams in the Atlantic Division have an extra spot open because each division’s champion gets a seed.

The road ahead is an uphill battle.

The Nets face a four-game road trip with tough games against San Antonio and Miami. With Tim Duncan questionable for tonight, the game against the Miami Heat is the only remaining game that can be deemed a certain loss. The Nets have a good shot at all the others. If they finish with 15 wins, they will be .500 for the year; and a good chance to be playoff bound.

The forecast for the Knicks is not as sunny. They face 5 games that look like surefire losses: 2 versus Seattle, 2 versus Miami, and San Antonio. They also face the Wizards twice, and the Lakers on the road. Best case scenario: they go 4 and 4 in those games. They would then have to go 12 and 3 in the remaining games to reach .500.

The question for both teams: Is the Magic gone or are you ready for a run?