NEW YORK — The Celtics got further information and clarity when it comes to the upcoming playoffs with three games left in their season. After the Cavaliers blew out the Bulls, the C’s locked into the No. 2 seed in the East. That has been almost guaranteed down the stretch, but Tuesday’s results made it official.
The Celtics outlasted the Knicks in overtime Tuesday, but that result didn’t change the standings. The C’s improved to 59-20, just one win away from back-to-back 60-win seasons. Jayson Tatum (32 points) and Kristaps Porzingis (34) led the way for the C’s in the victory.
There is still uncertainty in the first round due. That won’t be sorted through until the first game of the play-in tournament, where the No. 7 and 8 teams play to earn the No. 7 seed.
Tuesday’s results had a huge impact on who the Celtics could see in the first round.
The Magic beat the Hawks, solidifying their hold on seventh place in the East. Now it’s a three-team race for the No. 8 spot. The Magic are the favorites to finish seventh, but who faces them in the play-in tourney is the question mark.
Here’s a look at the bottom of the East standings and the play-in picture:
| Place | Team | Record | Games back |
|---|---|---|---|
| No. 7 | Orlando Magic | 39-40 | — |
| No. 8 | Atlanta Hawks | 37-42 | 2 |
| No. 9 | Chicago Bulls | 36-43 | 3 |
| No. 10 | Miami Heat | 36-43 | 3 |
The Magic have opened up a two-game lead on the eighth-place Hawks with three games left. Those teams play again in the season finale Sunday, so Orlando hasn’t clinched the No. 7 spot. But it can clinch the No. 7 spot with a win over Boston on Wednesday.
The Bulls and Heat also face each other on Wednesday in Miami in a huge game in the standings. The winner will likely avoid being No. 10 in the East. Both teams also have relatively easy schedules the rest of the way. The Bulls already have the tiebreaker over the Heat, so Miami would also need to finish above Chicago.
The play-in tournament features teams 7-10 in each conference. The No. 7 and No. 8 teams play each other, with the winner earning the seventh seed in the playoffs and a first-round series vs. the Celtics. The loser of that 7-8 game faces the winner of the 9-10 game. The winner of that game will be the No. 8 seed in the playoffs and face top-seeded Cleveland in the first round.
