The Eastern Conference postseason picture is set before the final day of the regular season. Thanks to the outcome of a number of games on Friday night, the 10 teams that will have a chance to compete for a championship this year have been determined.
The Brooklyn Nets were able to pick up a 101-84 win over the Orlando Magic, which means the Miami Heat will not be able to jump into the 6-seed in the East and get into the playoffs without needing the play-in. While Miami’s 114-108 loss to the Washington Wizards would have meant this happened no matter what, Brooklyn was able to take matters into its own hands. As a result, here are the top-6 seeds in the East:
1. Milwaukee Bucks
2. Boston Celtics
3. Philadelphia 76ers
4. Cleveland Cavaliers
5. New York Knicks
6. Brooklyn Nets
As for the play-in, that got set due to the Toronto Raptors’ loss to the Boston Celtics. While the Atlanta Hawks could have clinched the 8-seed on their own with a win over the Philadelphia 76ers, the Raptors fell to the Celtics, 121-102, before Atlanta’s game could reach its conclusion. With the dust settled, these four teams will fight for the final two spots in the conference:
7. Miami Heat
8. Atlanta Hawks
9. Toronto Raptors
10. Chicago Bulls
The winner of the Heat-Hawks game will earn the 7-seed, while the 8-seed will be determined in a matchup between the loser of that game and the winner of the game between Toronto and Chicago.
