With fewer than 15 games left in the NBA season, the race for the final spot in the Eastern Conference playoffs remains wide open.
The Celtics are the incumbent, but they lead Charlotte by just half a game, Indiana by only a game and they are just one-and-a-half games ahead of Brooklyn.
However, a closer examination shows why Boston will be able to hold off its competition and reach the postseason for the first time under head coach Brad Stevens.
Let's start with the fact that the Celtics are the only one of those four teams playing above .500 in their last 10 games. The Pacers have dropped their last six games, the Hornets are just 2-6 in their last eight games and the Nets are 4-6 in their last 10.
Furthermore, according to basketball-reference.com's simple rating system, which takes into account average point differential and strength of schedule, the Pacers are the only one of the true contenders for the eighth seed that rates higher than Boston.
Eastern Conference
W
L
W/L%
GB
PS/G
PA/G
SRS ▾
Atlanta Hawks* (1)
53
17
.757
—
102.6
97.4
4.83
Cleveland Cava ...
Read Full Article at Bleacher Report - NBA
Article written by Bobby Krivitsky
Eastern Conference Playoffs: Why the Boston Celtics Will Claim the Eighth Seed
March 24th, 2015 by Bobby Krivitsky Leave a reply »
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