by The Philadelphia 76ers got a game-winner from Joel Embiid on Friday to stay just one behind the No. 2 Celtics in the loss column, though the lead is effectively two with Boston clinching the tiebreaker.
Also, Miami defeated Cleveland on Friday and continues to have a real shot to climb above the play-in line, with two head-to-head games remaining against both the Knicks and Nets, the two teams above them.
Below is a comprehensive snapshot of the Eastern Conference situation entering play on Friday, March 10. This post will be updated daily throughout the remainder of the regular season or until all seeds are closed.
A reminder of how the play-in tournament works: No. 7 plays No. 8 and No. 9 plays No. 10. The winner of the 7-8 game gets the No. 7 seed, while the loser plays the winner of the 9-10 game for the No. 8 seed.
READING: Image of the Western Conference playoffs
NOTE: Our SportsLine model, developed by predictive data engineer Stephen Oh, simulates the entire season 10,000 times to produce the most unbiased and accurate projections imaginable.
The Bucks have a three-game lead over the Celtics in the loss column. They play one more time on March 30 with the season series tied 1-1. The Bucks lead No. 3 Philly by four in the loss column, which feels pretty safe with 17 to play.
- Predicted Seed: 1
- Current First Round Match: TBD
- Tiebreaker vs. Boston: Tied 1-1 with one to play
- Tiebreaker vs. Philadelphia: Sixers lead 2-1 with one to play
2. Boston Celtics (46-21)
Boston trails No. 1 Milwaukee by three in the loss column and has just a one-loss lead over No. 3 Philadelphia, though that lead is effectively two games with Boston having tied the tiebreaker over Kiss. The Celtics should be safe to finish no worse than third, as they lead the No. 4 Cavaliers by five in the loss column.
- Predicted Seed: 2
- Current First Round Match: Heat/Hawks play-in winner
- Tiebreaker vs. Milwaukee: Tied 1-1 with one to play
- Tiebreaker vs. Philadelphia: Boston tightened up
- Tiebreaker vs. Cleveland: Cavs tight
The Sixers trail the No. 2 Celtics by just one in the loss column, but Boston swept the tiebreaker, making it an effective two-game deficit. They lead the No. 4 Cavs by five games.
- Predicted Seed: 3
- Current First Round Match: vs. Brooklyn
- Tiebreaker vs. Milwaukee: Tied 1-1 with one to play
- Tiebreaker vs. Philadelphia: Boston tightened up
- Tiebreaker vs. Cleveland: Cavs lead 2-1 with one to play
4. Cleveland Cavaliers (42-27)
The Cavs, who fell to Miami on Friday, are trying to hold off the No. 5 Knicks, who are two games behind Cleveland in the losing column with one game remaining. The Cavs also hold just a two-game lead over the No. 6 Nets with two games remaining.
- Predicted Seed: 4
- Current First Round Match: against New York
- Tiebreaker vs. Boston: The Cavs tightened up
- Tiebreaker vs. Philadelphia: Cavs lead 2-1 with one to play
- Tiebreaker vs. New York: Knicks lead 2-1 with one to play
- Tiebreaker vs. Brooklyn: Nets lead 1-0 with two to play
5. New York Knicks (39-29)
The Knicks remain tied with the No. 6 Nets, who defeated the Wolves on Friday. In their quest to stay above the play-in line, the Knicks have a three-game lead over the No. 7 Heat with two body matches remaining.
- Predicted Seed: 5
- Current First Round Match: in Cleveland
- Tiebreaker vs. Cleveland: Knicks lead 2-1 with one to play
- Tiebreaker vs. Brooklyn: The Knicks currently own the winning percentage through division
- Tiebreaker vs. Miami: Knicks lead 2-0 with two to play
6. Brooklyn Nets (38-29)
The Nets defeated Minnesota on Friday to remain tied in the loss column with No. 5 New York. Brooklyn has a three-game losing streak lead over the No. 7 Heat with two games remaining.
- Predicted Seed: 6
- Current First Round Match: in Philadelphia
- Tiebreaker vs. Cleveland: Nets lead 1-0 with two to play
- Tiebreaker vs. New York: The Knicks currently own the winning percentage through division
- Tiebreaker vs. Miami: Nets lead 2-0 with one to play
- Tiebreaker vs. Atlanta: Nets lead 2-1 with one to play
PLAY-IN TOURNAMENT
7. Miami Heat (36-32)
Miami defeated the Cavs on Friday to remain three losses behind No. 6 Brooklyn and No. 5 New York with two games remaining against each. The Heat lead the No. 8 Hawks by two effective games with the tiebreaker secured.
- Predicted Seed: 7
- Current First Round Match: vs. Hawks (play-in)
- Tiebreaker vs. New York: Knicks lead 2-0 with two to play
- Tiebreaker vs. Brooklyn: Nets lead 2-0 with two to play
- Tiebreaker vs. Atlanta: Miami tightened up
- Tiebreaker vs. Toronto: Raptors lead 2-1 with one to play
- Tiebreaker vs. Washington: Miami leads 2-1 with one to play
8. Atlanta Hawks (34-33)
The Hawks defeated the Wizards on Wednesday and Friday. Combined with Toronto’s loss to the Lakers, the Hawks lead No. 9 Toronto and No. 10 Washington by three in the loss column. Atlanta is effectively two games behind No. 7 Miami, who owns the tiebreaker.
- Predicted Seed: 8
- Current First Round Match: in Miami (play-in)
- Tiebreaker vs. Brooklyn: Nets lead 2-1 with one to play
- Tiebreaker vs. Miami: Heat tight
- Tiebreaker vs. Toronto: Atlanta tightened
- Tiebreaker vs. Washington: Atlanta leads 2-1 with one to play
- Tiebreaker vs. Chicago: Bulls lead 2-1 with one to play
9. Toronto Raptors (32-36)
Toronto lost to the Lakers on Friday to fall into a tie in the loss column with the No. 10 Wizards and No. 11 Bulls.
- Predicted Seed: 10
- Current First Round Match: vs. Wizards (play-in)
- Tiebreaker vs. Miami: Raptors lead 2-1 with one to play
- Tiebreaker vs. Atlanta: The hawks tightened
- Tiebreaker vs. Washington: Tied 1-1 with one to play
- Tiebreaker vs. Indiana: The Pacers embraced
- Tiebreaker vs. Chicago: The Raptors tightened up
10. Washington Wizards (31-36)
The Wizards fell again in Atlanta on Friday and are now tied in the loss column with the No. 11 Bulls as they try to stay in a play-in position.
- Predicted Seed: 9
- Current First Round Match: in Toronto (play-in)
- Tiebreaker vs. Toronto: Tied 1-1 with one to play
- Tiebreaker vs. Indiana: The Pacers currently own the conference winning percentage
- Tiebreaker vs. Chicago: The bulls currently own the conference winning percentage
OUTSIDE LOOKING IN
11. Chicago Bulls (30-36)
The Bulls are tied in the loss column with the No. 10 Wizards and No. 9 Raptors.
- Predicted Seed: Lottery
- Tiebreaker vs. Toronto: The Raptors tightened up
- Tiebreaker vs. Washington: The bulls currently own the conference winning percentage
- Tiebreaker vs. Indiana: The Pacers embraced
12. Indiana Pacers (30-37)
The Pacers are one back in the loss column of No. 11 Chicago, No. 10 Washington and No. 9 Toronto with the tiebreaker sealed over Chicago and Toronto.
- Predicted Seed: Lottery
- Tiebreaker vs. Toronto: The Pacers embraced
- Tiebreaker vs. Washington: The Pacers currently own the conference winning percentage
- Tiebreaker vs. Chicago: The Pacers embraced
