For some perspective on the vast difference in end-of-season approaches on display Sunday, the lowly Magic played former Knick Ignas Brazdeikis for 37 minutes, during which they were outscored by 37.
The Knicks asked 30-year-old Alec Burks to log 33 minutes in a blowout victory after they already had been eliminated from playoff contention.
Tom Thibodeau teams do not tank, and the Knicks winning five of their past seven — showing hope for the future while also hurting the near-future draft odds — is further evidence.
The Knicks (35-44) have the best record among teams currently out of the postseason and play-in tournament, giving them the 12th-best odds at landing the top pick in May’s draft lottery.
If the Knicks, who have three games to play, finish in the same position, they would have a 1.5 percent chance at landing the top pick. It would be more feasible to jump into the top four — with a 7.2 percent shot — but most feasible to remain right at 12, which would happen with an 86.1 percent likelihood.
The three most recent No. 12 picks were San Antonio’s Joshua Primo, Sacramento’s Tyrese Haliburton (since traded to Indiana) and Charlotte’s PJ Washington.
The Knicks host the Nets, travel to Washington and host the Raptors to conclude the season, and the matchup with the Wizards (34-44) could decide the seeding “battle.” In the cases of ties, the lottery teams split their pingpong balls evenly.
With under a week left in the season, the Knicks could “pass” the Wizards and the Western Conference play-in tournament loser. The Pelicans (34-44) and Spurs (33-45) likely are headed toward the 9-10 game, and whichever team gets knocked out may have a worse winning percentage.
If the Knicks lose out and the Lakers win out, they would have the same record and split up the odds. If the Knicks don’t win another game and get help from the Lakers, Wizards and the West’s play-in loser, they could position themselves as well as an eighth-place tie.
But the Knicks have not and will not go out of their way to boost their lottery percentages.
“We have guys who are growing,” Thibodeau said last week. “I don’t believe in that other stuff [tanking].”