Knicks vs Bucks Preview: The Biggest Game Of The Year

For the past couple weeks, every game the Knicks played has been important, every loss impacting their playoff positioning. This being New York, every loss is treated as the end of the line for the Knicks and every win proof that Carmelo/Woodson/Lin/whoever is finally getting it. Saying tonight's game against the Bucks, however, is the biggest game of the year is not hyperbole at all. I'm going to go out on a limb and say the winner tonight will make the playoffs over the loser. This should be treated as a playoff game by everyone involved as it could very likely decide who gets that coveted 8th seed and the right to play the Bulls or Heat in the first round. This is also the biggest regular season game of Carmelo's Knicks career by a long shot. Last season, the Knicks pretty much had the 8th season wrapped up despite an awful stretch in which a Mets like collapse seemed possible, and he had A'mare and Chauncey Billups to fall back on a bit. This year, it's all Melo. With the injuries to Lin and A'mare this is Anthony's team. If they go 7 and 2 in their next 9 games and secure a playoff spot he will be a hero, but if they somehow let the Milwaukee Bucks (of all teams) sneak into the playoffs past them the blame will fall on his shoulders. It might be unfair to expect one guy to carry that much responsibility, but the Knicks didn't trade half their team to come in 9th in the lame ass Eastern conference. It's not win or go home but a win tonight will put the boot to the neck of the Bucks, and a loss will drop the Knicks into 9th, a place they haven't been since Woodsanity began. While the Bucks are no powerhouse, the Knicks have had all sorts of issues in the land of bratwurst and beer dating back to Andrew Lang breaking Ewing's wrist (essentially ending the dominant part of his career) to the recent barrage of losses they've suffered there. The last time the Knicks won in Milwaukee (get this) Eddy Curry hit a 3 pointer to send the game into overtime. Yeah, so weird shit happens when the Knicks play at the Bucks and I expect tonight to be no different. The Knicks have mostly done the opposite of my expectations this season so I'm going to say they pull out a win tonight and put a stranglehold on the 8th spot.