NBA playoff picture, standings, schedule, magic numbers: Celtics eye East No. 1 seed; 76ers on Cavs' heels

Everything you need to know about a very tight Eastern Conference race entering Tuesday, April 3rd

By Brad Botkin

Apr 3, 2018 at 11:24 am ET • 4 min read

Seven of the top eight seeds in the Eastern Conference could well change before etc season is over. Yeah, it's getting wild in this NBA playoff race. Here is everything you need to know about the Eastern Conference entering Tuesday, April 3rd. (Check out the Western Conference playoff picture here). These posts will continue to update for the remainder of the season as we keep track right down to the wire.

NOTES: Our SportsLine model, developed by predictive data engineer Stephen Oh, simulates the entire season 10,000 times to produce the most unbiased and precise projections imaginable.

Already Clinched

Toronto Raptors (No. 1 seed)

The Raptors have lost three of their last five, and one of those losses was to Boston, which is now within two losses of the No. 1 seed. Toronto gets Cleveland Tuesday night, and the Cavs are clinging to the No. 3 seed so they'll be motivated. Then it's Boston again and Indiana. Murderous stretch and a slippery time for the Raps to hang on to the top spot.

Magic number to clinch No. 1 seed: Four
Remaining games: Six (three home, three road)
Strength of remaining schedule: .535 (10th-toughest in league)
Next three games: at Cleveland, vs. Boston, vs. Indiana
SportsLine projection: 90.8 percent to get No. 1 seed

Boston Celtics (No. 2 seed)

Boston just keeps winning in spite of all the injuries its facing, including Kyrie Irving being on the shelf. The Celtics have clinched the No. 2 seed, but they still have a game left vs. Toronto this week and if they win that they could be within one loss of the No. 1 seed with the tiebreaker over Toronto in hand.

Playoff Status: Clinched No. 2 seed, two losses back on No. 1 seed
Remaining games: Six (three home, three road)
Strength of remaining schedule: .458 (ninth-easiest in league)
Next three games: at Milwaukee, at Toronto, vs. Chicago
SportsLine projection: 9.2 percent chance to earn No. 1 seed

Fighting for top-four seed

Cleveland Cavaliers (No. 3 seed)

Cleveland has won seven of nine but can't pull away from Philly for that No. 3 seed. Big week for the Cavs against the Raptors, who many people feel are the Eastern Conference favorite, the Wizards, who Cleveland would match up with in the first round if the season ended Tuesday, and the Sixers, who of course are nipping at their heels for the No. 3 seed.

Playoff status: Tied in loss column with No. 4 Philly
Magic number to clinch No. 3 seed: Five
Remaining games: Five (three home, two road)
Strength of remaining schedule: .514 (12th-toughest in league)
Next three games: vs. Toronto, vs. Washington, at Philadelphia
SportsLine Projections: 90.9 percent to get top-four seed

Philadelphia 76ers (No. 4 seed)

The Sixers are right on the Cavs' heels for the No. 3 seed, but at the same time, Indiana is just one loss back of the Sixers for the No. 4 seed.

Magic number to clinch top-four seed: Five
Remaining games: Six (four home, two road)
Strength of remaining schedule: .422 (easiest in league)
Next three games: vs. Brooklyn, at Detroit, vs. Cleveland
SportsLine projection: 73.7 percent to get top-four seed

Indiana Pacers (No. 5 seed)

Indiana has put some distance between itself and the No. 6 Wizards, and has all but wrapped up at least the No. 5 seed. All they need is a win or a Washington loss to secure at least a tie, although Washington does hold the tiebreaker.

Magic number to clinch No. 5 seed: One
Remaining games: Five (two home, three road)
Strength of remaining schedule: .573 (fifth toughest in league)
Next three games: at Denver, vs. Golden State, at Toronto
SportsLine projection: 35 percent to get top-four seed

On brink of clinching spot

Washington Wizards (No. 6 seed)

Washington has lost five of its last seven and all but lost all shot of a higher seed than No. 6. They have secured at least a tie for no worse than the No. 8 seed, and they have John Wall back and have to be feeling good about their chances no matter who they face in the first round.

Magic number to clinch playoff spot: One
Remaining games: Five (two home, three road)
Strength of schedule: .538 (ninth-toughest in league)
Next three games: at Houston, at Cleveland, vs. Atlanta
SportsLine projection: Projected No. 6 seed

Miami Heat (No. 7 seed)

Miami is locked in a battle with Milwaukee for the No. 7 seed and perhaps the right to play Boston in the first round, potentially without Kyrie Irving. SportsLine projections do not have Miami holding onto the No. 7 seed despite a very soft schedule over their next three.

Playoff Status: Tied in loss column with No. 8 Milwaukee
Magic number to clinch playoff spot: Two
Remaining games: Five (three home, two road)
Strength of remaining schedule: .444 (second-easiest in league)
Next three games: vs. Atlanta, at Atlanta, at New York
SportsLine projection: Projected No. 8 seed

Milwaukee Bucks (No. 8 seed)

As mentioned above, SportsLine projections have the Bucks eventually jumping Miami to secure the No. 7 seed, but this 7-8 race could well come down to the last night of the season.