Jalen Brunson dons Superman cape one more time to secure the No. 2 seed for Knicks

Despite turning over the ball like a hot potato in the second half, the New York Knicks clinched the No. 2 seed because of a superhero-like outing from their best player. Jalen Brunson, who is on a terrific late-season run went for 40 points on 46 percent shooting in New York's regular-season finale. Additionally, the guard had eight rebounds and seven assists.

New York needed every one of his points as the franchise could only beat the play-in-destined Bulls by one point in overtime. Going into this game, New York needed a win and a Milwaukee Bucks loss against the Orlando Magic for the franchise to take the two seed. Orlando took care of Milwaukee very easily with them incentivized for their seeding purposes putting all the attention towards Madison Square Garden.

With the second-best Eastern Conference record now secured for New York, knowing why the second spot in the East could be so important for the Knicks and Jalen Brunson is paramount.

Why is getting the two seed so important for the Knicks and Jalen Brunson?

After taking the two spot in the Eastern Conference, the Knicks can avoid the Boston Celtics until the Eastern Conference Finals. In what is presumably the worst-case situation for the franchise, the Knicks are now likely slated to play against the Bucks in the second round of the playoffs. That's if the Knicks beat the winner of the Philadelphia 76ers-Miami heat play-in game in the first round, as well as the Bucks beating the No. 6 Indiana Pacers.

While playoff success is a lot more important than regular season nods, Brunson can now make a better argument for All-NBA first team which will help his individual legacy.

Even before Giannis Antetokounmpo's injury, the Bucks looked like a squad that could end up losing in a seven-game series against the Knicks. While New York still needs to play their best, the franchise now has a clear path to the Eastern Conference Finals. Whoever the team faces, the franchise will have home-court advantage in the first two rounds of the playoffs.

Getting the two seed make the franchise most likely the squad a favorite to win their first two series which is why Brunson performance was so crucial to the team's playoff hunt. If the Knicks do, they will make it to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 2000.