Each team still fighting for a playoff spot or position won on Wednesday night, keeping the Eastern Conference standings crowded.
The Pacers, Pistons, Wizards, Celtics and Hornets recorded victories. The Wizards remained alive with their win as they could have been eliminated with the Pistons win. The Celtics moved back into a tie for third with the Hawks, who currently own the tiebreaker. The teams play Saturday night at Philips Arena. The Hornets moved a half-game closer so that spots 3-6 are still separated by just one game.
The Hawks host the Raptors tonight in one key conference game. The Heat host the Bulls in another.
Here’s a look at the playoff picture in the East:
c - Clinched Central Division
a - Clinched Atlantic Division
x - Clinched playoff berth
Eliminated from playofs - Orlando, Milwaukee, New York, Brooklyn, Philadelphia
