On Wednesday night time, there have been 4 notable actions within the Eastern Conference playoff/play-in races.
The Miami Heat misplaced to the Cavaliers, which places No. 7 Miami in a troublesome spot to climb above the play-in line at 4 video games again of No. 6 Brooklyn. The Hawks beat the Wizards, bringing Atlanta again to inside an efficient two video games of the Heat, who personal the tiebreaker. The Wizards’ loss, mixed with Chicago’s win over Denver, brings the No. 11 Bulls inside one recreation of No. 10 Washington. Toronto dropped right into a tied with No. 10 Washington, additionally only one up on Chicago for the final play-in spot, with its loss to the Clippers.
Below is a complete snapshot of the place issues stand within the Eastern Conference coming into play on Thursday, March 9. This put up will replace every day all through the rest of the common season, or till all seeds are clinched.
Reminder on how the play-in event works: No. 7 performs No. 8 and No. 9 performs No. 10. The winner of the 7-8 recreation will get the No. 7 seed, whereas the loser performs the winner of the 9-10 recreation for the No. 8 seed.
READ: Western Conference playoff image
NOTE: Our SportsLine mannequin, developed by predictive knowledge engineer Stephen Oh, simulates your entire season 10,000 occasions to provide probably the most unbiased and exact projections conceivable.
The Bucks maintain a three-game lead over the Celtics within the loss column. They play yet another time on March 30 with the season sequence tied 1-1. The Bucks lead No. 3 Philly by 4 within the loss column, which feels fairly protected with 17 to play.
Projected seed: 1Current first-round matchup: TBDTiebreaker vs. Boston: Tied 1-1 with one to playTiebreaker vs. Philadelphia: Sixers lead 2-1 with one to play
2. Boston Celtics (46-21)
Boston trails No. 1 Milwaukee by three within the loss column and holds only a one-loss lead over No. 3 Philadelphia, although that lead is successfully two video games with Boston having cliched the tiebreaker over Philly. The Celtics ought to be protected to finish up no worse than third, as they lead the No. 4 Cavaliers by 5 within the loss column.
Projected seed: 2Current first-round matchup: Winner of Heat/Hawks play-inTiebreaker vs. Milwaukee: Tied 1-1 with one to playTiebreaker vs. Philadelphia: Boston clinchedTiebreaker vs. Cleveland: Cavs clinched
The Sixers path the No. 2 Celtics by only one within the loss column, however Boston has clinched the tiebreaker. They lead the No. 4 Cavs by 4 video games. At the second, the Sixers really feel like a very good guess to remain at No. 3.
Projected seed: 3Current first-round matchup: vs. BrooklynTiebreaker vs. Milwaukee: Tied 1-1 with one to playTiebreaker vs. Philadelphia: Boston clinchedTiebreaker vs. Cleveland: Cavs lead 2-1 with one to play
4. Cleveland Cavaliers (42-26)
The Cavs try to carry off the No. 5 Knicks, who’re two video games again of Cleveland within the loss column with one head-to-head matchup remaining. The Cavs additionally maintain only a two-game lead over the No. 6 Nets with two extra head-to-head matchups remaining.
Projected seed: 4Current first-round matchup: vs. New YorkTiebreaker vs. Boston: Cavs clinchedTiebreaker vs. Philadelphia: Cavs lead 2-1 with one to play
Tiebreaker vs. New York: Knicks lead 2-1 with one to playTiebreaker vs. Brooklyn: Nets lead 1-0 with two to play
5. New York Knicks (39-28)
The Knicks noticed their nine-game win streak finish in opposition to Charlotte on Tuesday, dropping them two video games again of the No. 4 Cavs and right into a tie within the loss column with the No. 6 Nets. The Knicks maintain a three-game lead over the No. 7 Heat of their quest to remain above the play-in line, however consider they play the Heat two extra occasions.
Projected seed: 5Current first-round matchup: at ClevelandTiebreaker vs. Cleveland: Knicks lead 2-1 with one to playTiebreaker vs. Brooklyn: Knicks presently personal through division win proportion
Tiebreaker vs. Miami: Knicks lead 2-0 with two to play
6. Brooklyn Nets (37-28)
The Nets are hanging powerful since buying and selling Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. They maintain a three-loss lead over the No. 7 Heat to remain above the play-in line. They are tied with the No. 5 Knicks, and path the No. 4 Cavs by two within the loss column.
Projected seed: 6Current first-round matchup: at PhiladelphiaTiebreaker vs. Cleveland: Nets lead 1-0 with two to playTiebreaker vs. New York: Knicks presently personal through division win proportion
Tiebreaker vs. Miami: Nets lead 2-0 with one to playTiebreaker vs. Atlanta: Nets lead 2-1 with one to play
PLAY-IN TOURNAMENT
7. Miami Heat (35-32)
After falling to Cleveland on Wednesday, Miami is 4 losses again of No. 6 Brooklyn and No. 5 New York with two matchups remaining in opposition to every. The Heat lead the No. 8 Hawks by an efficient two video games with the tiebreaker secured.
Projected seed: 7Current first-round matchup: vs. Hawks (play-in)Tiebreaker vs. New York: Knicks lead 2-0 with two to playTiebreaker vs. Brooklyn: Nets lead 2-0 with two to playTiebreaker vs. Atlanta: Miami clinched
Tiebreaker vs. Toronto: Raptors lead 2-1 with one to playTiebreaker vs. Washington: Miami leads 2-1 with one to play
8. Atlanta Hawks (33-33)
The Hawks held off the Wizards on Wednesday to maneuver two video games up on them with two head-to-head matchups remaining. Atlanta is an efficient three video games up on No. 9 Toronto with the tiebreaker secured. Atlanta is an efficient two video games again of No. 7 Miami, which owns the tiebreaker.
Projected seed: 8Current first-round matchup: at Miami (play-in)Tiebreaker vs. Brooklyn: Nets lead 2-1 with one to playTiebreaker vs. Miami: Heat clinched
Tiebreaker vs. Toronto: Atlanta clinchedTiebreaker vs. Washington: Tied 1-1 with two to playTiebreaker vs. Chicago: Bulls lead 2-1 with one to play
9. Toronto Raptors (32-35)
Toronto misplaced to the Clippers on Wednesday to fall right into a tie within the loss column with No. 10 Washington, juts one loss up on the No. 11 Bulls. Toronto is an efficient three video games again of the No. 8 Hawks, who’ve secured the tiebreaker.
Projected seed: 10Current first-round matchup: vs. Wizards (play-in)Tiebreaker vs. Miami: Raptors lead 2-1 with one to play
Tiebreaker vs. Atlanta: Hawks clinchedTiebreaker vs. Washington: Tied 1-1 with one to playTiebreaker vs. Indiana: Pacers clinchedTiebreaker vs. Chicago: Raptors clinched
10. Washington Wizards (31-35)
The Wizards fell to Atlanta on Wednesday and now maintain only a one-game lead over the No. 11 Bulls as they attempt to grasp onto a play-in spot.
Projected seed: 9Current first-round matchup: at Toronto (play-in)Tiebreaker vs. Toronto: Tied 1-1 with one to playTiebreaker vs. Indiana: Pacers presently personal through convention win proportionTiebreaker vs. Chicago: Bulls presently personal through convention win proportion
OUTSIDE LOOKING IN
11. Chicago Bulls (30-36)
The Bulls defeated Denver on Wednesday and are one again of the No. 10 Wizards and No. 9 Raptors.
Projected seed: LotteryTiebreaker vs. Toronto: Raptors clinchedTiebreaker vs. Washington: Bulls presently personal through convention win proportionTiebreaker vs. Indiana: Pacers clinched
12. Indiana Pacers (29-37)
The Pacers are two again of No. 10 Washington and presently personal the tiebreaker. They are one again the No. 11 Bulls with the tiebreaker secured.
Projected seed: LotteryTiebreaker vs. Toronto: Pacers clinchedTiebreaker vs. Washington: Pacers presently personal through convention win proportionTiebreaker vs. Chicago: Pacers clinched
