Knicks need to clear three obstacles to make big playoff run

There’s typically not much to project into the playoffs from individual regular-season matchups. The Knicks beat the Heat three of four times last season, for instance, then dropped four of six when it really, really mattered.

That’s especially true when one of the teams, the Knicks, is missing three difference-makers because of injuries. So though it was disappointing Saturday for the Knicks to get bombed again by the Celtics, 116-102, it did nothing to answer the question of how they’d stack up with OG Anunoby, Julius Randle and Mitchell Robinson on the court.

Maybe we’ll find out in May. Maybe the Knicks won’t even get to that month. Just like Randle’s recovery timeline, this is all fluid.

Regardless, there comes a point in the building process when the state of the competition is significant. That’s where those darn Celtics come into play. Boston has hoarded talent with a core still in its 20s, most notably 25-year-old Jayson Tatum. A run for Leon Rose’s construction, if not this season then somewhere down the line, will inevitably run into Boston.

The Knicks can thank the Nets for trading Danny Ainge the draft picks he used for Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.

“I’m going to take our roster and our team over anybody in the league,” Knicks forward Josh Hart said beforehand. “That’s the mentality you have to have. I think once we get back healthy and in full swing then everyone gets accustomed to playing with each other, I think we can beat any team.”