NBA Playoffs 2012: New York Knicks' Statement Win Shows Playoff Mettle

With the Milwaukee Bucks hot on their trail in pursuit of the No. 8 spot in the Eastern Conference, the New York Knicks needed a win on Wednesday night. Their victory may not be considered a marquee win by most, but the Knicks got the job done and are beginning to look the part of a playoff team.

The Knicks previously held a one-game advantage over the Bucks for the final postseason spot in the conference. However, by virtue of a 111-107 victory on the road, New York has managed to put some distance between itself and Milwaukee.

Say what you will about the win, but the Knicks were just 1-2 in three previous meetings with the Bucks, so they beat a team that gave them problems.

There is no question that the Knicks have been a different team since Mike D'Antoni was fired and Mike Woodson was installed as the new head coach. While part of that has to do with a change in philosophy, the play of Carmelo Anthony has probably been the main reason for the improvement.

Anthony has now dropped 29 or more points in seven of his past nine games, including 32 against the Bucks. Anthony simply couldn't get into a grove earlier in the season as injuries and poor shooting plagued him. However, he is now once again the focal point of New York's offense and he is playing with great efficiency. Six times during his nine-game swoon, Anthony has shot over 50 percent from the field.

The team defense has also improved significantly. Center Tyson Chandler has locked down the interior, while perimeter defenders like Iman Shumpert and Landry Fields have done a great job as well. The defense wasn't as evident on Wednesday, as the dynamite Bucks backcourt of Monta Ellis and Brandon Jennings was excellent. However, other than those two players, New York held Milwaukee in check.

In all likelihood, provided the Knicks don't melt down in the season's closing games, they are going to take either the seventh or eighth seed. That means that they will have an incredibly difficult matchup with either the Miami Heat or Chicago Bulls. If the playoffs started today, they would get the Bulls, and while that isn't an ideal series, the Knicks are currently playing their best basketball of the season.

The Knicks just concluded a home-and-home set with the Bulls, and while they lost the back end, they managed to take down Chicago in overtime in the first game. Perhaps New York won't upset the Bulls in the first round, but if the Knicks continue to play this way, they will be an extremely difficult out.

New York has one of the deeper teams in the league with capable scorers like J.R. Smith and Steve Novak on the bench. Also, the Knicks have been getting the job done without power forward Amar'e Stoudemire. When he returns, the offense will become even more potent.

To the casual observer, a road win over the Bucks may not seem like much. However, Knicks fans have to be encouraged. Their team has been maddeningly inconsistent this season, but with their most recent victory, it appears as though they are a great bet to make the postseason and do some damage in the process.