NBA East playoff image: Celtics close space on No. 1 seed; Bulls climb into play-in; Nets dive Knicks

On Saturday, there were 2 seeding modifications in the Eastern Conference playoff image: The Nets leapt the Knicks into the No. 5 seed, and the Bulls leapt the Wizards into the the last play-in area.

Below is an extensive picture of where things stand in the East going into play on Sunday, March 12. This post will upgrade daily throughout the rest of the routine season, or till all seeds are clinched.

Reminder on how the play-in competition works: No. 7 plays No. 8 and No. 9 plays No. 10. The winner of the 7-8 video game gets the No. 7 seed, while the loser plays the winner of the 9-10 video game for the No. 8 seed.

READ: Western Conference playoff image

KEEP IN MIND: Our SportsLine design, established by predictive information engineer Stephen Oh, imitates the whole season 10,000 times to produce the most objective and exact forecasts you can possibly imagine.

The Bucks fell at Golden State on Saturday and now hold simply a two-loss lead over No. 2 Boston with one head-to-head match staying, which will likewise choose the tiebreaker.

Projected seed: 1
Current first-round match: TBD
Tiebreaker vs. Boston: Tied 1-1 with one to play
Tiebreaker vs. Philadelphia: Sixers lead 2-1 with one to play

2. Boston Celtics (47-21)

After Milwaukee’s loss to Golden State and their own triumph over Atlanta on Saturday, Boston now tracks the Bucks by 2 in the loss column with one head-to-head match staying, which will choose the tiebreaker.

Projected seed: 2
Current first-round match: Winner of Heat/Hawks play-in
Tiebreaker vs. Milwaukee: Tied 1-1 with one to play
Tiebreaker vs. Philadelphia: Boston clinched
Tiebreaker vs. Cleveland: Cavs clinched

The Sixers route the No. 2 Celtics by simply one in the loss column, however Boston has actually clinched the tiebreaker, making that an efficient two-game deficit.

Projected seed: 3
Current first-round match: vs. New York
Tiebreaker vs. Milwaukee: Tied 1-1 with one to play
Tiebreaker vs. Philadelphia: Boston clinched
Tiebreaker vs. Cleveland: Cavs lead 2-1 with one to play

4. Cleveland Cavaliers (42-27)

The Cavs hold a 2-loss lead over the No. 5 Nets and a three-loss lead over the No. 6 Knicks with two head-to-head matches left versus each.

Projected seed: 4
Current first-round match: vs. Brooklyn
Tiebreaker vs. Boston: Cavs clinched
Tiebreaker vs. Philadelphia: Cavs lead 2-1 with one to play
Tiebreaker vs. New York: Knicks lead 2-1 with one to play
Tiebreaker vs. Brooklyn: Nets lead 1-0 with 2 to play

5. Brooklyn Nets (38-29)

Brooklyn delves into the No. 5 seed by virtue of New York’s loss to the Clippers on Saturday.

Projected seed: 6
Current first-round match: at Cleveland
Tiebreaker vs. Cleveland: Nets lead 1-0 with 2 to play
Tiebreaker vs. New York: Knicks presently own through department win portion
Tiebreaker vs. Miami: Nets lead 2-0 with one to play
Tiebreaker vs. Atlanta: Nets lead 2-1 with one to play

6. New York Knicks (39-30)

The Knicks fell back Brooklyn with their loss to the Clippers on Saturday. In their mission to remain above the play-in line, the Knicks hold a three-game lead over the No. 7 Heat with 2 head-to-head matches staying.

Projected seed: 5
Current first-round match: at Philadelphia
Tiebreaker vs. Cleveland: Knicks lead 2-1 with one to play
Tiebreaker vs. Brooklyn: Knicks presently own through department win portion
Tiebreaker vs. Miami: Knicks lead 2-0 with 2 to play

PLAY-IN COMPETITION

7. Miami Heat (36-33)

Miami missed out on a possibility to pick up speed on the No. 6 Knicks, who lost to the Clippers, with a loss at Orlando on Saturday. Miami still tracks a playoff area by 3.

Projected seed: 7
Current first-round match: vs. Hawks (play-in)
Tiebreaker vs. New York: Knicks lead 2-0 with 2 to play
Tiebreaker vs. Brooklyn: Nets lead 2-0 with 2 to play
Tiebreaker vs. Atlanta: Miami clinched
Tiebreaker vs. Toronto: Raptors lead 2-1 with one to play
Tiebreaker vs. Washington: Miami leads 2-1 with one to play

8. Atlanta Hawks (34-34)

After losing to Boston on Saturday, Atlanta stays an efficient 2 video games back of No. 7 Miami, which owns the tiebreaker.

Projected seed: 8
Current first-round match: at Miami (Play-in)
Tiebreaker vs. Brooklyn: Nets lead 2-1 with one to play
Tiebreaker vs. Miami: Heat clinched
Tiebreaker vs. Toronto: Atlanta clinched
Tiebreaker vs. Washington: Atlanta leads 2-1 with one to play
Tiebreaker vs. Chicago: Bulls lead 2-1 with one to play

9. Toronto Raptors (32-36)

Toronto lost to the Lakers on Friday to fall under an incorporate the loss column with the No. 10 Bulls and the No. 11 Wizards.

Projected seed: 10
Current first-round match: vs. Bulls (Play-in)
Tiebreaker vs. Miami: Raptors lead 2-1 with one to play
Tiebreaker vs. Atlanta: Hawks clinched
Tiebreaker vs. Washington: Tied 1-1 with one to play
Tiebreaker vs. Indiana: Pacers clinched
Tiebreaker vs. Chicago: Raptors clinched

10. Chicago Bulls (31-36)

The Bulls delved into the play-in image with a win over Houston on Saturday. Chicago presently owns the tiebreaker over Washington through conference win portion.

Projected seed: Lottery
Current first-round match: at Raptors (Play-in)
Tiebreaker vs. Toronto: Raptors clinched
Tiebreaker vs. Washington: Bulls presently own through conference win portion
Tiebreaker vs. Indiana: Pacers clinched

OUTSIDE SEARCHING IN

11. Washington Wizards (31-36)

The Wizards fell once again to Atlanta on Friday and are now incorporated the loss column with the No. 10 Bulls as they attempt to hang onto a play-in area.

Projected seed: 9
Tiebreaker vs. Toronto: Tied 1-1 with one to play
Tiebreaker vs. Indiana: Pacers presently own through conference win portion
Tiebreaker vs. Chicago: Bulls presently own through conference win portion

12. Indiana Pacers (30-37)

The Pacers are one loss back of the 9-11 seeds.

Projected seed: Lottery
Tiebreaker vs. Toronto: Pacers clinched
Tiebreaker vs. Washington: Pacers presently own through conference win portion
Tiebreaker vs. Chicago: Pacers clinched