Celtics
There are still six teams who could be the Celtics’ first-round opponent.
The Celtics have known their spot as the top seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs since March 24. Entering the final day of the regular season, not much else has been resolved in the Eastern Conference playoff picture.
The Bulls and the Hawks are the only other teams who have their seeding locked up in the East through the first 81 games of the season, holding the ninth and 10th seeds respectively. They’ll play each other Wednesday, with the winner of that game facing the loser of the game between the seventh and eighth seeds on Friday. The winner of Friday’s game will face the Celtics in the opening round of the playoffs.
Beyond that, seven teams are jockeying for position for the No. 2-8 seeds in the East on Sunday. Following Friday’s games, let’s take a look at the standings, the possible seeding scenarios following Sunday’s games, and each team’s record against the Celtics this season.
1. Celtics (63-18)
2. Bucks (49-32)
3. Knicks (49-32)
4. Cavaliers (48-33)
5. Magic (46-35)
6. Pacers (46-35)
7. 76ers (45-36)
8. Heat (45-36)
9. Bulls (39-42)
10. Hawks (36-45)
Milwaukee Bucks
Clinch No. 2 seed with: a win against the Magic OR losses by the Knicks and Cavaliers.
Clinch No. 3 seed with: a loss against the Magic, Knicks win, and Cavaliers lose OR a loss against the Magic, Cavaliers win, and Knicks lose.
Clinch No. 4 seed with: a loss against the Magic, Knicks win, and Cavaliers win.
Celtics record vs. Bucks this season: 2-2
New York Knicks
Clinch No. 2 seed with: a win against the Bulls and Bucks lose.
Clinch No. 3 seed with: Bucks win OR loss against Bulls, Bucks loss, and Cavaliers loss.
Clinch No. 4 seed with: loss against Bulls, Bucks win, and Cavaliers win.
Celtics record vs. Knicks this season: 4-1
Cleveland Cavaliers
Clinch No. 2 seed with: win against Hornets, Bucks loss, and Knicks loss.
Clinch No. 3 seed with: win against Hornets, Knicks win, and Bucks loss.
Clinch No. 4 seed with: loss against Hornets OR Bucks and Knicks win.
Celtics record vs. Cavaliers this season: 2-1
Orlando Magic
Clinch No. 5 seed with: win against Bucks and Pacers win OR win against Bucks, Pacers loss, and 76ers loss OR loss against Bucks and losses by the Pacers, 76ers, and Heat.
Clinch No. 6 seed with: win against Bucks, 76ers win, and Pacers loss OR loss against Bucks, 76ers win, Pacers loss, and Heat loss.
Clinch No. 7 seed with: loss against Bucks and Pacers win OR loss against Bucks and 76ers win
Clinch No. 8 seed with: loss against the Bucks, Pacers win, and Heat win.
Celtics record against Magic this season: 2-1
Indiana Pacers
Clinch No. 5 seed with: win against Hawks and Magic loss
Clinch No. 6 seed with: win against Hawks and Magic win OR loss against Hawks, 76ers loss, and Heat loss OR loss against Hawks and losses by the Magic, 76ers, and Heat.
Clinch No. 7 seed with: loss against Hawks, Magic win, and 76ers win OR loss against Hawks, Magic loss, and only one of 76ers or Heat win.
Clinch No. 8 seed with: loss against Hawks, Magic loss, 76ers win, and Heat win.
Celtics record against Pacers this season: 3-2
Philadelphia 76ers
Clinch No. 5 seed with: win against Nets and Pacers loss
Clinch No. 6 seed with: win against Nets, Magic loss, and Pacers win OR loss against Nets, Magic loss, Pacers win, and Heat win OR loss against Nets, Magic loss, and Pacers loss, and Heat win.
Clinch No. 7 seed with: win against Nets, Magic win, and Pacers win OR loss against Nets, Magic win, and Heat loss.
Clinch No. 8 seed with: with loss against Nets and Heat win.
Celtics record against 76ers this season: 3-1
Miami Heat
Clinch No. 5 seed with: win against Raptors and losses by the Magic, Pacers, and 7ers.
Clinch No. 6 seed with: win against Raptors, Magic loss, Pacers win, and 76ers loss OR win against Raptors, Magic loss, Pacers loss and 76ers win.
Clinch No. 7 seed with: win against Raptors, Magic win, and 76ers loss OR win against Raptors, Magic loss, Pacers win, and 76ers win.
Clinch No. 8 seed with: loss against Raptors OR Magic, Pacers, and 76ers win.
Celtics record against Heat this season: 3-0
Chicago Bulls
Locked into No. 9 seed.
Celtics record against Bulls this season: 3-0
Atlanta Hawks
Locked into No. 10 seed
Celtics record against Hawks this season: 2-2
Odds to be Celtics’ most likely first-round opponent
With the uncertainty of the No. 5-8 seeds in the Eastern Conference plus the element of the play-in tournament, Basketball Reference projects that a handful of teams have a decent shot at being the No. 8 seed. The Heat are the favorites, holding a 24.3 percent probability on Basketball Reference’s model. That would obviously be a rematch of the last two Eastern Conference finals.
Beyond the Heat, the Bulls have the second-highest probability of facing the Celtics in Round 1 (20.5 percent) with the Hawks (19.8 percent) not too far behind. The 76ers (13.9 percent), Magic (13.5 percent), and Pacers (8.1 percent) round out Basketball Reference’s projected first-round opponent for the Celtics.
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