Atlanta (38-25) took a major step toward gaining home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs Friday with its third straight win, 97-92 over Boston. The Hawks will open at home as the Eastern Conference's No. 5 seed as long as they hold off Orlando and finish with a better record than the Celtics, who are guaranteed the fourth seed as Atlantic Division champions.
New York (33-30) clinched a playoff spot on an off day Thursday when Milwaukee fell at Indiana. The Knicks were predictably flat in their next game, Friday's 98-90 loss at Cleveland. The lone positive for the former Hawks coach was the return of Amare Stoudemire, back in the lineup after missing 13 games with a back injury. Stoudemire had 15 points and three rebounds in 27 minutes.It's hard to say what the Knicks can accomplish over their final three games. They will likely finish seventh or eighth in the East, earning them a first-round matchup with Chicago or Miami.
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