Could the Celtics finish first in the eastern conference after all?
After the Cleveland Cavaliers blew a 26 point fourth quarter lead to the Atlanta Hawks, Boston finds itself tied for first place in the eastern conference. There are only two games left to play, and for the Celtics to earn the top seed over Cleveland, they need a little help.
Atlanta outscored the Cavs 44-18 in the fourth quarter two days after the Hawks’ bench players took out the Cavs’ regulars by 14 points. Cleveland has really struggled since handling the Celtics on their own floor earlier in the week. The one seed is still up for grabs, and the Celtics have a good chance of securing it by the end of the regular season.
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The Celtics and Cavaliers have identical 51-29 records with two games remaining. The Cavs face off against Miami and Toronto, while the Celtics have games against the Nets and Bucks. Unless the Raptors decide to rest their starters, Cleveland will surely have the tougher path to the east’s top spot.
Since the Cavs have the tiebreaker on the Celtics after winning three out of four in their meetings, the Celtics need to win both of their remaining games.
Here are the scenarios that could result in the Celtics securing the one seed:
1. Cavs go 0-2, Celtics go at least 1-1
2. Cavs go 1-1, Celtics go 2-0
If the Cavs win their last two games, it doesn’t matter what the Celtics do since they have the tiebreaker. Also, if the Celtics lose both of their remaining games, they will be out of contention for the one seed, and be at risk of losing the two seed to the Raptors.
Having the top seed in the east could be very important towards how far the Celtics make it in the playoffs. Boston’s first round opponent will either Chicago, Miami, and Indiana. While it won’t be easy, the Celtics should take care of those teams. The top seed would matter most in the second round.
Toronto clinched the third seed over Washington with their win over the Knicks. If Boston doesn’t take the one seed from Cleveland, they would most likely have to play the Raptors in the conference semifinals. Since the Raptors have had the Celtics’ number this season, it would be ideal to avoid that match up.
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Also, Cleveland and Toronto had a decent battle last year in the eastern conference finals. This season, Toronto is improved while Cleveland is noticeably more vulnerable. Forcing Cleveland to take on Toronto in the second round would make things very difficult on the defending champs early on. Boston has played much better against Washington this season, so securing the top seed would be the much better outcome for Boston’s playoff hopes.