The New York Knicks defeated the Chicago Bulls 120-119 in overtime in the final game of the season on Sunday, moving them into the second seed in the NBA Eastern Conference playoff standings. The Knicks leapfrogged the Milwaukee Bucks and lost to the Orlando Magic 113-88.
Jalen Brunson led the Knicks with 40 points and seven assists. Donte DiVincenzo played 52 minutes in the final game of the regular season and added 25 points (5-of-14 from 3-point range).
The Bulls were led by DeMar DeRozan's 30 points, but the veteran missed a floater past Precious Achiuwa and DiVincenzo with 2.1 seconds left, almost giving Chicago a one-point lead. Nikola Vucevic scored 29 points and Coby White added 26 points for the Knicks at the final buzzer.
Brunson's 40 points were his 11th of the season and the second most by a Knicks player in a single season, behind Patrick Ewing. Bernard King holds the record for scoring 40 points in 13 games.
Additionally, Brunson averaged 28.7 points per game, tying him with Carmelo Anthony for the third-highest scoring average in team history. King also holds that record, averaging 32.5 points in the 1984-85 season.
With the win, the Knicks finished with 50 wins (50-32) for the first time since the 2012-13 season, when the team featuring Anthony and J.R. Smith won 54 games.
New York will face either the Philadelphia 76ers or the Miami Heat in the first round of the playoffs, determined by the winner of Wednesday's play-in tournament.
In Sunday's regular season finale, the 76ers defeated the Brooklyn Nets 107-86 and the Heat defeated the Toronto Raptors 118-103.
Chicago finishes as the No. 9 seed and will play the No. 10 Atlanta Hawks in the East's other game, with the winner facing the loser of the 76ers-Heat matchup.
The Eastern Conference playoff seeds are as follows:
1. Boston Celtics
2. New York Knicks
3. Milwaukee Bucks
4. Cleveland Cavaliers
5. Orlando Magic
6. Indiana Pacers
7. Philadelphia 76ers*
8. Miami Heat*
9. Chicago Bulls*
10. Atlanta Hawks*
(* = play-in tournament)