The final day of the NBA regular season has arrived and all 30 teams are in action.
The Bulls travel to Madison Square Garden to face the Knicks in Game 82 for both teams, but the motivation level is different for both teams.
Chicago has already clinched the ninth seed in the Play-In tournament and will host the Hawks in a one-game playoff for a chance at the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference.
The Knicks will likely finish as the second or third seed, needing a win and a Milwaukee loss to Orlando to grab the No. 2 seed.
This will be the third meeting between the Knicks and Bulls in 10 days to close the season.
The two teams split two games at United Center, with the Knicks defeating Chicago, 128-117, on April 9 as 5-point favorites.
Sunday’s number jumped up to 15.5 points as the Bulls will likely rest some of their key players.
Chicago beat Washington on Friday, 129-127, without top players DeMar DeRozan and Nikola Vucevic in the lineup.
The Knicks rallied to beat the Nets on Friday, 111-107, but fell short as an 11-point home favorite.
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This was New York’s first non-cover as a double-digit favorite in the last four opportunities.
It’s hard to imagine what the Knicks’ motivation is regarding the standings because so many different scenarios could play out on the final day.
That’s too many points to score, even against a Chicago team that doesn’t need to win to rank.
The game: Bulls +15.5 (FanDuel Sportsbook)
New York Post
