As the NBA season continues its stretch run toward the playoffs it seems each and every game from here on out holds major implications on the standings.
In the East, the Cleveland Cavaliers have reclaimed first place, while the Toronto Raptors‘ comeback victory on Wednesday night gave the club a half-game lead on the Washington Wizards for third. Meanwhile, just two games separates fifth from ninth, setting up a fascinating final week of the season as teams continue to jockey for seeding.
Let’s take a look at the latest snapshot at the playoff race atop the East, and the four teams locked into home court advantage:
CLEVELAND CAVALIERS
After a particularly rough month of March that featured truly shoddy defence, in-fighting, and other worrisome trends, on Wednesday night we got a clear glimpse of “Playoff Cavaliers” and what the defending champs are capable of when firing on all cylinders.
Heading into last night’s game in Boston, the Cavs and Celtics were deadlocked for first with sole possession of the top seed up for grabs. LeBron James took the opportunity to make a statement, dropping a loud 36 points, 10 rebounds, six assists and two blocks as Cleveland rocked Boston 114-91.
All five starters scored in double figures and even with big man Tristan Thompson missing the game due to a thumb injury, the Cavs still out-rebounded their opponent, 51-38.
The win showed the disparity between the two clubs. One should be feared heading into the post-season and the other is just the Boston Celtics.
Now back in first, the Cavs remain prohibitive favourites to return to the NBA Finals for the third straight season. ESPN’s algorithm, the Basketball Power Index, shows the Cavs as having the best chance of any East team to win the title (4.7 per cent— up from 3.5 per cent just two days ago), with the Raptors — not the Celts — in second (2.9 per cent).
With just four games remaining, Cleveland is positioned well to hold onto their spot atop the rankings. On Friday they tip-off the first of two straight games versus the struggling Atlanta Hawks, followed by a winnable-but-tough road game against a Miami Heat team fighting for their playoff lives before wrapping up the regular season at home against the Raptors, the only playoff team they’ve yet to lose to this season.
BOSTON CELTICS
The Celtics appeared in a different class from the Cavs altogether on Wednesday (…not a complement). And while they’ve lost the top spot in the conference Boston is still in good shape to finish second. Isaiah Thomas is still tearing it up, but some of the key players around him, like reserve guard Marcus Smart, are struggling down the stretch.
They’ll remain deserved favourites over whomever they face in the first round (currently the Chicago Bulls, although that could change by this time tomorrow) but will need their supporting cast to step up to have a real shot at advancing past that. To close out their season, the Celts will get the opportunity to bounce back with a tough schedule that features the aforementioned Hawks and then three teams who are all playing hard right now— Charlotte, Brooklyn, and Milwaukee.
TORONTO RAPTORS
After some horrid play, the Raptors were able to salvage a win on Wednesday night as all-star Kyle Lowry made his return to the lineup for the first time in 21 games. Before last night, he hadn’t had a full practice with his new teammates, Serge Ibaka and P.J. Tucker, and was re-joining a roster that had found a nice groove, going 14-7 without him.
Still, it was pretty easy to see what kind of impact his presence on the court has. Lowry played a team-high 42 minutes, posting 27 points on 56 per cent shooting along with five boards, ten assists, and a pair of steals. Welcome back, Kyle.
After pouring a glass half-full, Lowry’s extended absence could prove to be a boon for his club provided he and his new teammates get on the same page quickly. The injury afforded him some much-needed rest heading into the playoffs, something he’ll surely benefit from after logging more minutes per game last season than any other player in the East, reaching the conference finals with the Raps, and then playing a significant role on Team USA at the Olympics last summer.
What’s more, Lowry’s return comes with three games still left on the schedule, giving the Raps a little breathing room to work out some kinks before the playoffs begin. The win on Wednesday gave the Raptors a half-game cushion on Washington (remember: Toronto owns the tie-breaker), as the Raptors should be in good position to wind up with the third seed when all is said and done, despite a pair of tough games ahead versus Miami on Friday and then the finale on the road against Cleveland.
With the Cavs reclaiming first place, the third seed became far more appealing again. While projecting ahead and dreaming of matchup scenarios is dangerous, it’s hard to ignore this time of year. And the benefit of owning third place at the moment is just as much about setting up a potential second-round matchup with the Celtics as it is about avoiding the Cavs for as long as possible. The Raptors, despite being a lower seed, would be favoured against Boston. What’s more, currently the third seed would face Atlanta, whereas the fourth seed matches up with Milwaukee, the conference’s best team over the last month.
WASHINGTON WIZARDS
The Wizards followed up a three-game losing streak with a crucial comeback victory over the Charlotte Hornets earlier this week thanks in large part to a double-double from John Wall.
While, as mentioned, the Wizards will finish fourth in the East should they wind up with an identical record as the Raptors (Toronto won the season series 2-1), they do have the advantage of having four games remaining to the Raps’ three. That said, two of those are against the Miami Heat, who have struggled without Dion Waiters in the lineup but will be facing legitimate must-win scenarios in both games. But first the Wizards play a sad Knicks team, and also have a very winnable game versus the Detroit Pistons on the schedule. This could come down to the wire.
Stay tuned.
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