In the upcoming NBA playoffs, the Boston Celtics are set to face off against one of four potential opponents: the Philadelphia 76ers, Miami Heat, Atlanta Hawks, or Chicago Bulls. Additionally, there’s been a shakeup in the standings as the New York Knicks have surpassed the Milwaukee Bucks to secure the second spot.
The Boston Celtics wrapped up their season with an impressive 64-18 record following Payton Pritchard’s outstanding performance, scoring 33 points and dishing out 11 assists. This marked his second consecutive game setting a career high in points, leading the Celtics to a convincing 124-103 victory over the Washington Wizards. Meanwhile, the Eastern Conference standings saw over a dozen scenarios unfold, creating a myriad of possibilities based on the outcomes of games across the NBA.
After all was said and done, the standings remained largely unchanged.
On Tuesday night, the Philadelphia 76ers will host the Miami Heat in the play-in tournament’s first round. The team that loses this matchup will progress to face the winner of Wednesday’s game between the Atlanta Hawks and the Chicago Bulls, who are seeded 9th and 10th respectively. The victorious team from that contest will secure the eighth seed and go on to face the Boston Celtics in the first round, with Game 1 scheduled for Sunday.
Here’s how the standings looked after the completion of the 82-game regular season.
1. Boston: As the NBA playoffs commence, Boston secures the top seed, granting them home-court advantage throughout. They are set to face the winner of the 4-5 matchup in the second round.
3. Knicks: With a strong surge in their performance, including a remarkable 20-3 record fueled by OG Anunoby, the Knicks soared up the standings. They secured home-court advantage for their first two playoff series, surpassing the Bucks on the last day of the regular season. In the first round, they will face the winner of the Heat-76ers matchup.
2. Bucks: Despite a defeat to the Magic and the absence of Giannis Antetokounmpo due to injury, they managed to retain the second seed thanks to a loss by the Cleveland Cavaliers. There was a risk of falling to fourth place if the Cavs had won as well. Now, the Bucks will face the Indiana Pacers in the first round, a team that won 4 out of 5 meetings this season, including a peculiar incident involving a game ball dispute following the Bucks’ victory in December.
4. Cavaliers: Despite the opportunity to climb to the second seed with losses by the Bucks and Knicks, they faltered in their final game against the Hornets, ending the regular season on a disappointing note. As a result, they face the Orlando Magic in the first round, a matchup considered manageable. However, it’s unlikely that any series will be an easy victory for them.
5. Magic: Despite a late-season slump, they managed to hold on to their position in the standings, thanks in part to victories by the Pacers and 76ers, which maintained a three-way tie. Orlando secured a division win over Miami by just one game, ensuring they avoided the play-in tournament and remained in the 4-5 series. The victor of their matchup against the Cavaliers will progress to face the Celtics in the second round.
6. Pacers: Despite the possibility of slipping into the play-in tournament, they managed to handle their business effectively. With their potent scoring capabilities, they pose a threat to a vulnerable Bucks team, although they remain within the Celtics’ second-round bracket.
7. 76ers: They will host Tuesday’s play-in game after splitting the season series with the Heat. Joel Embiid sat out Sunday’s game as a precaution, but the Sixers still managed to secure a victory against the Nets. It is anticipated that Embiid will return to action against the Heat.
8. Heat: They will visit the Sixers, who narrowly defeated them in a close April matchup shortly after Joel Embiid’s return. If the Heat lose, they would likely be favored to face the Celtics. However, if Miami manages to defeat Philadelphia, it’s unlikely that they will meet the Celtics on their journey to the Finals. It’s worth noting that a similar outcome occurred last year when Miami lost to the Hawks in this game, setting both teams on a path to the Eastern Conference Finals.
9. Bulls: They will host the play-in game on Wednesday, with the victor moving within one game of securing a first-round series against the Celtics. Despite injuries sidelining Patrick Williams and Zach LaVine for an extended period and a loss to the Hawks in April, the Bulls managed to win the season series against Atlanta with a 2-1 record.
10. Hawks: Trae Young made a comeback for three games following finger surgery, but Jalen Johnson and Onyeka Okongwu are expected to miss the play-in game and possibly the first round if the Hawks advance. Last year, the Hawks surprised the Heat in the 7-8 game, earning a spot in the first round, where they faced the Celtics in a competitive six-game series.
