Dwight Howard Injury: New York Knicks Can Grab 6th-Seed in D12's Absence

As bad as it's looking for Dwight Howard and the Orlando Magic after D12's back injury, it couldn't be looking any better for the New York Knicks.

According to Dan Savage, a writer for the Magic, head coach Stan Van Gundy says the team could be without their All-Star center for at least the next three games.

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SVG: "@DwightHoward will not play tonight and we don't anticipate him playing Sunday or Monday."

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The next three games for Orlando consist of home against the Atlanta Hawks, on the road against the Cleveland Cavaliers and again at home versus the Philadelphia 76ers.

And after losing to the lowly Washington Wizards, it's safe to say the Magic could drop all three of these games. If D12 is out for an extended period of time, the Magic could easily go into a worse tail spin.

As it stands today, the Knicks are currently four games back of the Magic for the sixth seed and only one game back of the 76ers for the seventh.

In the same three-game stretch, the Knicks will have to play at home against the Wizards, the Miami Heat and the Boston Celtics.

Granted, those aren't easy games, specifically Boston and Miami, but New York has already beaten Boston this season, while Miami is in the midst of playing their worst basketball of the season.

So it isn't out of the question that the Knicks win all three of these home games and if all goes well, could find themselves one to two games back of the Magic with five left to play.

That is also dependent upon the 76ers falling behind the Knicks to the eighth seed.

I can't express how important this would be if New York could somehow grab the sixth seed.

Doing so would draw the Indiana Pacers in the first-round of the NBA playoffs and that is as favorable a matchup as they come for the Knicks.

In three meetings this season, New York has a 2-1 advantage over Indiana with the one loss coming after the Knicks dropped a 15-point fourth quarter lead after folding down the stretch of the game.

If not for the epic collapse against Indiana, New York would've easily swept the season series.

In their two wins, both of which were a home-and-home on back-to-back days (which isn't easy to win in itself), the Knicks won by margins of 15 and 14, respectively.

Clearly, the Knicks would have a major advantage over the Pacers.

This is a dream scenario and it'll take an epic collapse by the D12-less Magic, but it's a very real possibility nonetheless for a team that is currently in turmoil in more ways than one.

But that being said, if the Knicks can grab the sixth seed, the chances of them getting out of the first-round will instantly go from doubtful to damn-near certain and that is welcome news for the Knicks and their fans.