To say the NBA playoff races are wild right now would be an understatement. What follows is everything you need to know about where things stand in the Eastern Conference entering Thursday, March 22. (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.

Eastern Conference

Cream of the Crop

Toronto Raptors (No. 1 seed)

The Raptors have lost three of five and have a tough slate coming up. They've already clinched a playoff spot and are are still in line to secure the top seed, but suddenly Boston is only three games back in the loss column. Also, Boston and Toronto still have two games to play. 

  • Magic number to clinch No. 1 seed: Five
  • Remaining games: Eight (four home, four road)
  • Strength of remaining schedule: .548 (sixth toughest in league)
  • Next three games: vs. Denver, at Boston, at Cleveland
  • SportsLine projection: 99.5 percent to get No. 1 seed

Boston Celtics (No. 2 seed)

Winners of four of their last five, the Celtics are battling through these injuries and are still not completely out of the race for the No. 1 seed. As mentioned above, Boston still has two games with the Raptors. If they were to win both of those, they would be within one game of the No. 1 seed WITH the tiebreaker via a 3-1 head-to-head record vs. Toronto. This isn't over. 

  • Lead/trail: Trail Raptors by three games (loss column) for No. 1 seed
  • Tiebreaker: Season series tied 1-1 with Raptors with two matchups remaining
  • Magic number to clinch No. 2 seed: Three
  • Remaining games: Nine (four home, five road)
  • Strength of remaining schedule: .477 (10th easiest in league)
  • Next three games: at Phoenix, at Utah, vs. Toronto
  • SportsLine projection: 0.5 percent chance to earn No. 1 seed

Fighting for top-four seed

Cleveland Cavaliers (No. 3 seed)

A statement win over the Raptors last week is just one of five straight victories for LeBron and the Cavs, who are once again making us question whether we shouldn't still be considering them the favorite in the East. They still don't even have a top-four seed locked up, but LeBron, as he has said, doesn't care about seeding. 

  • Lead/trail: Only two losses separate them from No. 5 seed Indiana
  • Magic number to clinch playoff spot: One
  • Magic number to clinch home court in first round: Nine
  • Remaining games: Nine (five home, four road)
  • Strength of remaining schedule: .494 (13th easiest in league)
  • Next three games: at Miami, at Charlotte, vs. New Orleans
  • SportsLine Projections: 94.8 percent to get top-four seed

Philadelphia 76ers (No. 4 seed)

The Sixers clinched a playoff spot on Sunday with a win over Minnesota, and they're looking good to finish as a top-four seed with home-court in the first round. Considering they rely so heavily on two guys who had played a combined 31 NBA games prior to this season, finishing as a top-four seed would be quite an accomplishment. 

  • Magic number to clinch top-four seed: Nine
  • Remaining games: 10 (six home, four road)
  • Strength of remaining schedule: .412 (secod-easiest in league)
  • Next three games: vs. Denver, vs. New York, at Atlanta
  • SportsLine projection: 75.5 percent to get top-four seed

Indiana Pacers (No. 5 seed)

Indiana has also clinched a playoff spot, another great story after everyone hammered them for supposedly getting so fleeced in that deal with OKC for Paul George. Tough schedule down the stretch. Top-four seed looking less and less likely. 

  • Magic number to clinch playoff spot: Two
  • Remaining games: Eight (two home, six road)
  • Strength of remaining schedule: .563 (fourth toughest in league)
  • Next three games: at Golden State, at Sacramento, at Clippers
  • SportsLine projection: 27 percent to get top-four seed

Washington Wizards (No. 6 seed)

Not that long ago the Wizards were right there for a top-four seed, but now they're three back in the loss column from Philly. The good news is they do have the tiebreaker over the Sixers. 

  • Magic number to clinch playoff spot: Two
  • Remaining games: Nine (four home, five road)
  • Strength of schedule: .499 (15th in league)
  • Next three games: vs. San Antonio, at Detroit, vs. Charlotte
  • SportsLine projection: 2.1 percent to get top-four seed

Bottom seeds but still dangerous

Milwaukee Bucks (No. 8 seed)

Milwaukee jumped Miami with a win over San Antonio on Sunday. This race for the No. 7 seed is actually pretty meaningful right now as you would certainly rather see Boston with all its injuries in the first round than you would the Raptors, which is who you would likely get as the No. 8 seed. 

  • Magic number to clinch playoff spot: Three
  • Remaining games: Nine (three home, six road)
  • Strength of remaining schedule: .501 (14th easiest in league)
  • Next three games: at Clippers, at Golden State, at Lakers
  • SportsLine projection: 99.9 percent to make playoffs

Miami Heat (No. 7 seed)

Two losses in a row have dropped the Heat into the final playoff spot, but six of their last eight are at home and Detroit is five games back in the loss column, so the Heat pretty darn safe. 

  • Magic number to clinch playoff spot: Three
  • Remaining games: Eight (six home, two road)
  • Strength of remaining schedule: .437 (fifth easiest in league)
  • Next three games: vs. Cleveland, vs. Chicago, vs. Brooklyn
  • SportsLine projection: 99.9 percent to make playoffs