The NBA regular season is still burning, and the Eastern Conference landscape has changed unexpectedly as the schedule deepens. The 76ers, who had once been in the top three, suffered a four-game losing streak and not only slipped down the standings, but even worse, the team's leader Embiid suffered a serious injury blow. Regarding his injury, the disclosure revealed that the lateral meniscus of his left knee was damaged and his return date was undetermined, which undoubtedly caused great distress to the team. With this, a dark horse team in the Eastern Conference standings has emerged, which has brought a lot of impact to the originally fixed pattern.
At the moment, the number one team in the league is the Celtics, who have been very successful in the offseason, putting together a top-notch starting lineup that has maintained an excellent record and held the top spot in the Eastern Conference standings for a long time. In stark contrast, the Bucks suffered two consecutive losses after Rivers took over, the team fell into a lot of trouble, and Rivers himself began to adopt a dump strategy, and the future of the Bucks was clouded.
The two dark horses that have risen in the standings are the Cavaliers and the Knicks. The Cavaliers are on a three-game winning streak recently, with a 29-16 record and fourth in the Eastern Conference standings. The team's star Mitchell was efficient, and Garland was a key force at the back, and the team as a whole performed well. The Knicks have won eight games in a row in their last eight games and currently have a 31-17 record, ranking third in the East. The rise of that performance was largely due to a pre-season trade that the team made to get Anunoby. Anunoby's arrival has greatly improved the team's defensive efficiency, making the Knicks the biggest dark horse in the Eastern Conference standings.
The Knicks' Big Three is made up of Anunoby, Brunson, and Randle, who have excellent performances on both the offensive and defensive ends. Anunoby's arrival has been a huge help to the team on the defensive end, and the Knicks currently rank sixth in the league in defensive efficiency and seventh in offensive efficiency. It is worth mentioning that the Knicks are at the top of the list with a 13-2 record in the last 15 games, even surpassing the strong team Clippers. This performance also makes the Knicks the epitome of the spoilers, and the team is still looking for the possibility of further improving the team before the trade deadline.
In the face of this dark horse in the Eastern Conference standings, the Celtics need to be vigilant at all times. The Knicks have been impressive this season and have become a potential opponent in the Eastern Conference playoffs. With the trade deadline just around the corner, it will be interesting to see if the Knicks will make more additions and whether they can make a difference in the playoffs. What do you think the Knicks can accomplish this season? It's a puzzle to look forward to.