MIAMI — Nearly 11 months after being eliminated in South Beach, the Knicks will finally return to play against the playoff champions on Tuesday.
There aren’t as many things at stake as Game 6 of the conference semifinals, but the Knicks aren’t in a position to lose back-to-back games or get beaten by the Heat again.
Their position in the standings is tenuous and confusing, with a narrow margin of error and made worse by injuries.
Coming off a heartbreaking two-game losing streak, the Knicks (44-30) sit in the middle of a six-team cluster in the East, best exemplified by the No. They are three games behind the seventh-seeded Heat.
A few steps in either direction could define this regular season with eight games remaining.
Heading into Monday, Tom Thibodeau’s team was in fourth place, one game ahead of the Magic.
This is a good position considering they will have home court advantage in the first round, and their opponent could be either the inexperienced Magic or the inexperienced Pacers.
But again, it’s unstable.
A loss to their longtime rival on Tuesday would tilt them further into the play-in tournament than the No. 2 seed they were trying to snatch from Milwaukee just a week ago.
The good news, according to center Isaiah Hartenstein, is that the Knicks feel equipped to handle Miami’s tough ball.
As you may remember, the Knicks were tricked by the Heat in the playoffs and lost.
It was the opposite of the first round, when the Knicks blew out the Cavaliers.
“Erik Spoelstra is a great coach,” Hartenstein said. “He had a lot of good plans against us. But I think they just did something similar to what we did to Cleveland. But I think now we’re more prepared and able to play together more. I feel like last year I wasn’t as aggressive about myself. I think it’s something new that we have.”
As Hartenstein alluded to, he averaged 2.2 points and 4 rebounds in that Heat series, playing more of a backup role than a key player.
The Knicks’ center field was dominated by Bam Adebayo and then Cody Zeller.
Hartenstein is currently the anchor of the defense, averaging 13.6 points and 8.1 rebounds over the past seven games.
But the bad news for the Knicks is that they have the toughest remaining schedule of any team in the East playoffs.
Fighting the heat is just the beginning.
Below, we compare the schedules and situations of the seven teams in the East following the top-seeded Celtics, who have already earned that spot.
Strength of schedule rankings are before Monday’s game and go from hardest (No. 1) to easiest (No. 7).
bucks
record: 47-27 (Celtics 11 GB)
Remaining schedule: At Wizards. Against the Grizzlies. Against the Raptors. vs. Knicks. Against the Celtics. Against magic. With Thunder. With magic.
Schedule strengths: No.2
prediction: 53-29, 2nd place in the East
cavaliers
record: 45-30 (13.5GB)
Remaining schedule: With jazz. At Sands. With the Lakers. With the Clippers. Against the Grizzlies. Against the Pacers. Against the Hornets.
Schedule strengths: No.6
prediction: 49-33 East 3rd place
knicks
record: 44-30 (14GB)
Remaining schedule: At the time of heat. Against the Kings. With the Bulls. At the Bucks. With the Bulls. With the Celtics. Against the Nets. vs. Bulls
Schedule strengths: No.1
prediction: 48-34, 4th place in the East
magic
record: 43-31* (15 GB)
Remaining schedule: Pelicans, Hornets. Against the Bulls. With the Rockets. At the Bucks. With the Sixers.vs Bucks
Schedule strengths: No.3
prediction: 47-35, 6th place in the East
Pacers
record: 42-33* (16.5 GB)
Remaining schedule: With the Nets. Against Thunder. Against the Heat. At the Raptors. At the Cavs.vs Hawks
Schedule strengths: No.5
prediction: 45-38, 7th place in the East
heat
record: 41-33 (17GB)
Remaining schedule: vs. Knicks. Against the Sixers. With the Rockets. Whether it’s the Pacers or the Hawks. Against the Mavericks. Against the Raptors. Against the Raptors.
Schedule strengths: No.4
prediction: 47-35, 5th place in the East
sixers
record: 40-35 (18.5GB)
Remaining schedule: Against Thunder. Against the Heat. With the Grizzlies. At Spurs. Against the Pistons. Against magic. Against the Nets.
Schedule strengths: No.7
prediction: 45-37, 8th place in the East
*Until Monday
