The Celtics are safely locked into the top spot in the Eastern Conference heading into the postseason. However, there’s complete chaos unfolding underneath them as the No. 2-8 seeds in the Eastern Conference remain unsettled entering the final five days of the regular season. The Bucks’ win over the Celtics on Tuesday night only added to that uncertainty after Giannis Antetokounmpo suffered a calf injury that will require further testing on Wednesday.
Let’s take a look at the current standings along with the remaining schedule to examine how things could unfold through a Celtics lens in the upcoming week.
STANDINGS
MIL 48-31
NYK 47-32
ORL 46-33
CLE 46-33
IND 46-34
PHI 45-35
MIA 44-35
REMAINING SCHEDULE
MIL: ORL, @OKC, @ORL
ORL: @ MIL, @PHI, VS. MIL
NYK: @ BOS, VS. BKN, VS. CHI
CLE: MEM, IND, CHA
IND: @ CLE, VS. ATL
PHI: ORL, BKN
MIA: DAL, TOR, TOR
CELTICS FIRST ROUND OPPONENT POSSIBILITIES
At this stage, the only thing we know is one of the Bulls and Hawks will be playing for the right to be the No. 8 seed in the East next week. Those two squads are locked into the 9 and 10 seeds and will face off next Wednesday with the winner advancing to play on Friday.
Beyond that, there are still five teams that could fall into the 7/8 play-in game. The odds on favorite right now for those spots remain the 76ers and the Heat. The Pacers are just one game above the Sixers for the No. 6 seed but they also hold the head-to-head tiebreaker. The only way Philadelphia can jump over them is with a multi-team tiebreaker. If the Magic or Cavs stumble down the stretch here, things could get interesting. For now, the odds remain we see the 76ers and Heat playing each other for the right to avoid the Celtics in the first round next week as part of the play-in tournament.
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GIANNIS INJURY IMPACT
With the blowout win over the Celtics on Tuesday night, the Celtics kept themselves in pole position for the No. 2 seed and strengthened the odds they will fall no further than No. 3 in the East. However, they have the toughest schedule remaining (ORL, OKC, ORL) among all East playoff teams and if Antetokounmpo is ruled out the final week of the regular season with a calf strain, they could fall as low as No. 5 as a playoff seed.
All eyes will be on their matchup against the Magic on Thursday night at home, the easiest game they have left. A win there will keep them on the other side of the bracket from Boston.
CELTICS HAVE SAY IN KNICKS SEEDING
The Celtics rested their top bigs against the Bucks on Tuesday night and they will have an interesting decision to make on Thursday against a hungry Knicks squad. This will be Boston’s final competitive game of the year (Hornets and Wizards are playing for nothing this weekend) so Boston could push New York (No. 3 currently) further down the East standings with a win.
On the flip side, a loss would almost certainly lock the Knicks into at least the No. 3 spot since the team’s only two remaining games are against subpar opponents (Brooklyn, Chicago). Will Joe Mazzulla opt for a good final test for this group at 100 percent? Or try to keep the team’s stars out of harm’s way? We will find out Thursday night.
