NBA standings, Japanese Convention playoff image: Celtics slip once more; Knicks in hunt for top-four seed

The Boston Celtics fell one other sport again of the No. 1 seed on Monday with their third straight defeat, this time to the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Celtics now path the top-seeded Bucks by three within the loss column with one head-to-head-matchup remaining. 

With the playoff and play-in races heating up, beneath is a complete snapshot of the place issues stand within the Japanese Convention coming into play on Tuesday, March 7. This put up will replace each day all through the rest of the common season, or till all seeds are clinched. 

Reminder on how the play-in match works: No. 7 performs No. 8 and No. 9 performs No. 10. The winner of the 7-8 sport will get the No. 7 seed, whereas the loser performs the winner of the 9-10 sport for the  No. 8 seed. 

READ: Western Convention playoff image

NOTE: Our SportsLine mannequin, developed by predictive information engineer Stephen Oh, simulates your entire season 10,000 instances to supply probably the most unbiased and exact projections possible.

EASTERN CONFERENCE

The Bucks now 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 secure with 18 to play. 

• Projected seed: 1
• Present first-round matchup: 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 (45-21)

The Celtics have misplaced three straight, blowing a double-digit lead in every. Boston now 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 needs to be secure to finish up no worse than third, as they lead the No. 4 Cavaliers by 5 within the loss column. 

• Projected seed: 2
• Present first-round matchup: Winner of Warmth/Hawks play-in
• Tiebreaker vs. Milwaukee: Tied 1-1 with one to play
• Tiebreaker vs. Philadelphia: Boston clinched
• Tiebreaker 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. In the intervening time, the Sixers really feel like a superb guess to remain at No. 3. 

• Projected seed: 3
• Present first-round matchup: vs. Brooklyn
• Tiebreaker vs. Milwaukee: Tied 1-1 with one to play
• Tiebreaker vs. Philadelphia: Boston clinched
• Tiebreaker vs. Cleveland: Cavs lead 2-1 with one to play

4. Cleveland Cavaliers (41-26)

The Cavs are attempting to carry off the No. 5 Knicks, who’re only one sport again within the loss column with one head-to-head matchup remaining. The Cavs additionally maintain only a two-game lead over the Nets with two extra head-to-head matchups remaining. 

• Projected seed: 4
• Present first-round matchup: vs. New York
• Tiebreaker vs. Boston: Cavs clinched
• 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 (39-27)

The Knicks have received 9 straight and sit only one again of the No. 4 Cavaliers. New York leads No. 6 Brooklyn by one. The Knicks maintain a four-game lead over the No. 7 Warmth of their quest to remain above the play-in line, however consider they play the Warmth two extra instances. 

• Projected seed: 5
• Present first-round matchup: at Cleveland
• Tiebreaker vs. Cleveland: Knicks lead 2-1 with one to play
• Tiebreaker vs. Brooklyn: Knicks at present personal by way of division win proportion
• Tiebreaker vs. Miami: Knicks lead 2-0 with two to play

6. Brooklyn Nets (36-28)

The Nets are hanging robust since buying and selling Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. They maintain a three-loss lead over the No. 7 Warmth to remain above the play-in line. They path the No. 5 Knicks by one and No. 4 Cavs by two within the loss column. 

• Projected seed: 6
• Present first-round matchup: at Philadelphia
• Tiebreaker vs. Cleveland: Nets lead 1-0 with two to play
• Tiebreaker vs. New York: Knicks at present personal by way of division win proportion
• 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 Warmth (35-31)

Miami is three losses again of No. 6 Brooklyn with two matchups remaining, so there’s an actual probability to get above the play-in. At worst, they firmed up their spot on the No. 7 seed with a win over the Hawks on Monday, which sealed the tiebreaker over Atlanta, thus making Miami’s lead an efficient three video games. 

• Projected seed: 7
• Present first-round matchup: vs. Hawks (play-in)
• Tiebreaker vs. Brooklyn: Nets lead 2-0 with two to play
• Tiebreaker vs. Atlanta: Miami clinched. 
• 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 (32-33)

The Hawks fell to Miami on Monday to fall two video games again of the Warmth, who additionally sealed the tiebreaker over Atlanta, making that lead successfully three video games. 

Atlanta has to deal with staying within the No. 8 seed in order that they solely must win on play-in sport to advance. That’s going to get dicey. The Hawks are only one loss up on the No. 9 Raptors, although that lead is successfully two with Atlanta having secured the tiebreaker. Atlanta additionally holds only a one-loss lead over the No. 10 Wizards with three head-to-head matchups remaining. 

• Projected seed: 8
• Present first-round matchup: at Miami (play-in)
• Tiebreaker vs. Brooklyn: Nets lead 2-1 with one to play
• Tiebreaker vs. Miami: Warmth clinched
• Tiebreaker vs. Toronto: Atlanta clinched
• Tiebreaker vs. Washington: Wizards lead 1-0 with three to play
• Tiebreaker vs. Chicago: Bulls lead 2-1 with one to play

9. Toronto Raptors (32-34)

After falling to Denver on Monday, the Raptors are one again of No. 8 Atlanta and one up on No. 10 Washington. As for staying above the lottery line, Toronto holds an efficient three-loss benefit over the No. 11 Bulls with the tiebreaker secured, and a three-loss lead over the No. 12 Pacers as properly. 

• Projected seed: 10
• Present first-round matchup: vs. Wizards (play-in)
• Tiebreaker vs. Miami: Raptors lead 2-1 with one to play
• Tiebreaker vs. Atlanta: Hawks clinched
• Tiebreaker vs. Washington: Tied 1-1 with one to play
• Tiebreaker vs. Indiana: Pacers clinched
• Tiebreaker vs. Chicago: Raptors clinched

10. Washington Wizards (30-34)

The Wizards are loss one again of No. 9 Toronto, two away from the No. 11 Bulls and three away from the No. 12 Pacers. 

• Projected seed: 9
• Present first-round matchup: at Toronto (play-in)
• Tiebreaker vs. Toronto: Tied 1-1 with one to play
• Tiebreaker vs. Indiana: Pacers at present personal by way of convention win proportion
• Tiebreaker vs. Chicago: Bulls at present personal by way of convention win proportion

OUTSIDE LOOKING IN

11. Chicago Bulls (29-36)

The Bulls are two again of the No. 10 Wizards and at present personal the tiebreaker. They’re tied with the No. 11 Pacers however Indiana has sealed the tiebreaker. 

• Projected seed: Lottery
• Tiebreaker vs. Washington: Bulls at present personal by way of convention win proportion
• Tiebreaker vs. Indiana: Pacers clinched

12. Indiana Pacers (29-37)

The Pacers are two again of No. 10 Washington and at present personal the tiebreaker. They’re tied with the No. 12 Bulls with the tiebreaker secured. 

• Projected seed: Lottery
• Tiebreaker vs. Washington: Pacers at present personal by way of convention win proportion
• Tiebreaker vs. Chicago: Pacers clinched