The NBA All-Star Game has come and gone, which means it’s time for teams to begin the final sprint in an 82-game marathon.
The Toronto Raptors, Boston Celtics and Cleveland Cavaliers are all jostling for position in the Eastern Conference and have walked three vastly different paths to this point in the season.
Toronto has been the model of consistency all year long, riding its depth to a number of blowout victories and a two-game cushion atop the standings.
The Celtics lost prized free-agent acquisition Gordon Hayward to injury in the first five minutes of the season, yet still reeled off an impressive 16-2 start to 2017-18. They’ve cooled off of late and limped into the all-star break on a three-game losing streak.
LeBron James and the Cavaliers looked like a shell of the team that has reached three consecutive NBA Finals but a trade deadline makeover has the group looking fresh as we approach the playoff push. Will the new faces and a rejuvenated LeBron be enough for Cleveland to make up 6.5 games in the standings?
Here’s a look at each team’s remaining schedule as we examine who has the inside track to claim pole position for the post-season:
| 1. Raptors (41-16) | 2. Celtics (40-19), 2GB | 3. Cavaliers (34-22) 6.5 GB | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total games remaining | 25 | 23 | 26 |
| Home games remaining | 13 | 9 | 14 |
| Road games remaining | 12 | 14 | 12 |
| Back-to-backs remaining | 4 | 4 | 3 |
| Games remaining vs. current playoff teams | 12 | 11 | 13 |
| Western Conference road games remaining | 0 | 7 | 6 |
| Combined win percentage of remaining opponents | 0.490 | 0.484 | 0.476 |
The Raptors have the toughest schedule remaining by opponent win percentage, but there are a couple key factors that still give them a leg up on Boston and Cleveland. Toronto has more home than road games remaining and owns the NBA’s best home record at an impressive 24-4. The Raptors are also done with Western Conference road games, logging the vast majority of their Air Miles before the calendar flipped to 2018.
With two games left against both Cleveland and Boston, including a back-to-back at the beginning of April, there is still plenty of opportunity for Canada’s lone franchise to stumble. However, factoring in its current two-game cushion (and two games in hand on the Celtics), Toronto is well positioned to earn home-court advantage throughout the Eastern Conference playoffs.
Boston has the most challenging schedule the rest of the way, with just nine of its 23 games coming at home. The Celtics also have seven more road contests against the Western Conference, including tough tests in Houston and Minnesota. One thing working in their favour as the playoffs approach is that they have the fewest games left, which could translate into fresh legs once the post-season rolls around.
The Cavaliers haven’t inspired confidence for much of the year, but their revamped roster and a soft schedule down the stretch could easily see them make a move in the standings. They open the unofficial second half of the season hosting six of their first seven games, which may allow them to build up momentum heading into a six-game road trip. Even if Cleveland can’t ultimately make up ground on Boston and Toronto, seeding certainly isn’t the be all end all for LeBron.
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