It’s a hot topic every April: Who are the hottest teams entering the NBA playoffs?

Oftentimes, the most dangerous basketball teams in the spring are not the ones who won the most games in the regular season, but the ones with the most momentum.

With the playoffs just 15 games away, the New York Knicks (42-25) are faced with a golden opportunity to be the hottest team in the Eastern Conference when the real games arrive.

It’s a luxury the Knicks didn’t have going into the 2025 playoffs. After winning 40 of their first 60 games, New York split their final 22 games. The Knicks’ net rating over that span was a mediocre +2.3, which was not only 15th in the NBA, but 10th in the East.

Despite lumbering into the playoffs, the Knicks still enjoyed a productive run, winning two playoff series and coming within two victories of an NBA Finals appearance.

Now, imagine what the same core of players could do in the tournament if they entered it with some momentum.

The Knicks could enter the playoffs on a rampage

New York is already one of the hottest teams in the NBA over a nearly two-month stretch. Dating back to Jan. 21, their +12.4 net rating is tops in the Association, while their 17-7 record is fifth-best.

The stars have aligned for the Knicks to extend this 24-game run into a near-half-season of dominant basketball heading into the playoffs.

New York’s remaining 15 opponents have a combined win percentage of .446, giving the Knicks the fourth-easiest remaining schedule in the NBA. Only the Cavaliers (.427) have an easier slate among Eastern Conference teams.

The Knicks have remaining games against the Pacers (twice), Wizards, Nets, Pelicans, Grizzlies, and Bulls. They also have opportunities to make statements against the Thunder, Celtics, Rockets, and surging Hornets (twice).

This schedule offers New York a healthy balance of winnable games and statement games. The hefty dosage of lowly opponents should allow the Knicks to stockpile the victories they need to build momentum and chase down Boston for the second seed. Meanwhile, the smattering of quality opponents can give New York the early tastes of playoff basketball that they will need to prepare for what’s ahead.

In a perfect world, the Knicks snag at least 12 of their final 15 games, including a victory over Boston on April 9. Not only would this leave New York with at least 54 victories and likely the No. 2 seed, but they would enter the playoffs with a record of at least 29-10 (a 61-win pace) over their final 39 games entering the playoffs, along with potentially the league’s best net rating over that span.

For all of the Knicks’ trials and tribulations throughout this season, that would be one hell of a way to walk into the playoffs.

Need an example of how valuable that type of second-half run could be for this Knicks team in the playoffs? Look no further than a team often compared to them as a realistic model for their championship hopes: the 2004 Detroit Pistons.

The 2004 Pistons and the importance of pre-playoff momentum for a non-superteam

Stylistically, this Knicks team is obviously very different from that Pistons team. Today’s Knicks are a high-octane offensive team in the modern efficiency-driven NBA, while the 2004 Pistons were a defensive juggernaut in the grittiest era of NBA history.

The similarities lie in the roster construction. New York is trying to win a championship with a well-rounded roster that lacks an MVP-caliber player. That’s precisely what the 2004 Pistons pulled off, with defensive-minded center Ben Wallace being the only All-Star on that team.

Furthermore, the Pistons won that year’s title despite not having a regular season for the record books. They went 54-28, which was good enough for the East’s second seed, but a performance that would be lost in the annals of history if not for their playoff success.

That playoff success was preceded by a scorching hot run in the final stretch of the regular season.

Detroit began the 2003-04 season with a 34-24 record. It was respectable, but nothing that screams “NBA champions,” as they were on pace for only 48 wins. Their average point differential was a non-threatening +2.8.

Starting with a four-game win streak in late February, in which all four victories were blowouts, the Pistons were a different team over their final 24 games. They finished the year with a 20-4 record, and most of their wins weren’t even close, as they posted an average point differential of +13.2.

That number isn’t too far off from the Knicks’ league-best +12.4 net rating since Jan. 21. And with the league’s fourth-easiest schedule over the next 15 games, New York has a chance to carry that number (or better) into the playoffs over a 39-game stretch.

The time is now for the New York Knicks to establish themselves as the serious NBA championship contenders that Knicks fans believe they can be.