Knicks' Playoff Path Discussed by NBA Fans After Securing No. 2 Seed in Win vs. Bulls

The New York Knicks are the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference.

The team's 120-119 overtime win against the Chicago Bulls on Sunday—paired with a Milwaukee Bucks loss—meant the Knicks moved behind only the Boston Celtics heading into the postseason.

Jalen Brunson led all scorers with 40 points to go along with eight rebounds and seven assists, while Donte DiVincenzo added 25 points. DeMar DeRozan (30 points), Nikola Vučević (29 points, 11 rebounds) and Coby White (26 points) paced the Bulls.

Sunday was a roller-coaster of emotion for Knicks' fans. Here's where they were before the contest:

But as the game wore on and it looked like all three of New York, Milwaukee and Cleveland might lose—which would have not only cost the Knicks the No. 2 seed but knocked them all the way down to No. 4—angst started settling in:

Once the Cavaliers lost, however, the Knicks weren't in danger of dropping to the No. 4 seed, which would have put them on a potential collision course with the Boston Celtics in the second round.

Still, there were pluses and minuses to either winning or losing. Ending up with the No. 2 seed means a first-round playoff matchup with either Joel Embiid's Philadelphia 76ers or last season's Eastern Conference champions, the veteran-laden Miami Heat. It also guarantees the Knicks will have home-court advantage through the first two rounds of the playoffs (should they survive Round 1).

But the No. 3 seed would have meant facing a tough Indiana Pacers team—which won the season series, 2-1—and potentially losing home-court advantage in the second round.

Pick your poison, basically. The team's fans and pundits alike continued to debate which was the preferable scenario during and after the game:

Regardless, it's a moot point now. The Knicks are locked into the No. 2 seed, and either Philly or Miami is up next. Madison Square Garden will once again take center stage during this year's NBA playoffs.