Eastern Conference Playoffs: Pacers in, Hawks need win for home court
The Eastern Conference playoff field is set. The seedings are not.
The Pistons clinched the remaining spot in the field with a win Sunday. They remain in a battle with the Pistons for the seventh and eighth positions.
The Hawks remain third in the conference with a one-game lead over the Celtics and Heat. The Hawks can finish no worse than fifth in the conference with two games remaining in the regular season. With a win at the Cavaliers Monday, the Hawks will clinch home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs. The Cavaliers still have something to play for themselves. With a win, they will lock up the No. 1 overall seed in the East.
In addition to the Hawks at Cavaliers, the Hornets play at the Celtics in another key conference matchup to determine the seedings in spots Nos. 3-6
Here’s a look at the current playoff picture:
| Rk. |
Eliminated from playoffs: Chicago, Washington, Orlando, Milwaukee, New York, Brooklyn, Philadelphia
y - Clinched division
x - Clinched playoff berth
Remaining games
Cavaliers: vs. Hawks, vs. Pistons
Raptors: vs. 76ers, at Nets
Hawks: at Cavaliers, at Wizards
Celtics: vs. Hornets, vs. Heat
Heat: at Pistons, at Celtics
Hornets: at Celitcs, vs. Magic
Pacers: vs. Knicks, at Bucks
Pistons: vs. Heat, at Cavaliers
About the Author
Chris Vivlamore is the sports editor at The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He has served as reporter and editor at the AJC since 2003.
