NBA Playoff Race
Movement in the East — Resorting in One Conference, Separation in the Other
Boston Demolishes Miami, Brown Goes Off for 43. Boston put on an offensive showcase in Miami, winning 147–129 in a game that was effectively over after the first quarter — the Celtics outscored the Heat 53–33 in the opening period and never looked back. Jaylen Brown was the story, dropping 43 points on 17-of-29 shooting with 7 assists, completely takeover mode from the opening tip. Jayson Tatum added a quiet triple-double — 25 points, 18 rebounds, 11 assists — and Sam Hauser went 9-of-11 from the field with 5 threes for 23 off the bench. Boston shot 58.3% from the field and 47.7% from three. The Celtics move to 51–25, holding their 4-game lead over New York for the 2-seed with six games to play.
San Antonio Is Now 10-0 in the Last 10. San Antonio wins their tenth straight, moving to 58–18 with a perfect 10-0 L10. The gap over OKC has tightened to 2 games. The Thunder remain idle tonight, which means the Spurs gained a half game in the standings. With OKC facing the Lakers on Thursday in what could be a statement game, the 1-seed race is going down to the final week of the regular season. A Wemby-led Spurs squad that has won 10 straight against a Thunder team playing under pressure — this is must-track chase.
Houston Inches Ahead of Minnesota for the 5-Seed. Houston beats Milwaukee 119–113 to move to 47–29 and pull one game ahead of Minnesota (46–29) for the 5-seed. The Rockets are on a four game win streak and have now won six of their last ten while managing a brutal stretch run. Should they secure the five seed, they’ll play Denver in the first playoff round, who are on a 7-game win streak. The Lakers own the 3-seed, so it’s a scenario of picking your poison.
Denver Keeps Rolling — Seven Straight. Denver handles Utah 130–117 for their seventh consecutive win, moving to 49–28 and further solidifying the 4-seed. The Nuggets are 8-2 in their last 10 and absolutely locked in as the postseason approaches. Their first round match-up will either be the Rockets or Timberwolves and neither are easy outs, but the Nuggets are playing some of their best basketball of the season at the right time.
Philadelphia Leapfrogs Toronto for the 6-Seed. Philadelphia drops 153 on Washington and moves to 42–34, leapfrogging Toronto for the 6-seed in the process. Toronto’s surprise loss to Sacramento 123–115, drops them to 42–34 and into the play-in tournament, with a possibility of fall further as Charlotte, Orlando, and Miami only two games behind. Atlanta continues its hot run, beating Orlando 130–101 to move to 44–33 which gives them a stronger hold on the 5-seed while helping Charlotte move up to 8th in the East.
New York Bounces Back, Miami Keeps Fading. New York beats Memphis 130–119 to snap a three-game skid, moving to 49–28 and getting back on track for the 3-seed. The Knicks likely won’t catch Boston for the 2-seed with the calendar running out, but the win gives them some breathing room ahead of Cleveland. Miami drops to 40–37 after the Boston blowout, continuing a 2-8 slide in the last ten that has them sitting in 10th with five games remaining on their schedule.
🏀 NBA Playoff Picture
| Team | W–L | GB | L10 | Strk | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Detroit |
55–21 | — | 7-3 | W1 | Direct |
| 2 | BostonW |
51–25 | 4.0 | 8-2 | W1 | Direct |
| 3 | New YorkW |
49–28 | 6.5 | 7-3 | W1 | Direct |
| 4 | Cleveland |
47–29 | 8.0 | 6-4 | L1 | Direct |
| 5 | AtlantaW |
44–33 | 11.5 | 8-2 | W3 | Direct |
| 6 | PhiladelphiaW▲ |
42–34 | 13.0 | 7-3 | W1 | Direct |
| 7 | TorontoL▼ |
42–34 | 13.0 | 5-5 | L2 | |
| 8 | Charlotte▲ |
40–36 | 15.0 | 7-3 | W1 | |
| 9 | OrlandoL |
40–36 | 15.0 | 4-6 | L1 | |
| 10 | MiamiL |
40–37 | 15.5 | 2-8 | L1 | |
| Team | W–L | GB | L10 | Strk | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | OKC |
60–16 | — | 9-1 | W3 | Direct |
| 2 | San AntonioW |
58–18 | 2.0 | 10-0 | W10 | Chasing |
| 3 | LA Lakers |
50–26 | 10.0 | 9-1 | W4 | Direct |
| 4 | DenverW |
49–28 | 11.5 | 8-2 | W7 | Direct |
| 5 | HoustonW▲ |
47–29 | 13.0 | 6-4 | W4 | Direct |
| 6 | Minnesota▼ |
46–29 | 13.5 | 6-4 | W1 | Direct |
| 7 | Phoenix |
42–34 | 18.0 | 3-7 | L1 | |
| 8 | LA Clippers |
39–37 | 21.0 | 5-5 | L1 | |
| 9 | Portland |
39–38 | 21.5 | 7-3 | W2 | |
| 10 | Golden StateL |
36–40 | 24.0 | 4-6 | L2 | |