The final day of the regular season is fast approaching, yet there is still much to be decided in the Eastern Conference Play-In Tournament race.
The Bucks, Celtics and 76ers seem to be safe as the top three seeds. The Cavaliers haven't been quite as dominant as those title contenders, but they will likely lock up a playoff berth soon.
That leaves nine squads fighting to fill the two remaining playoff slots and four Play-In Tournament openings. (Apologies to Hornets and Pistons fans — get ready for the NBA Draft Lottery!)
Which teams are feeling the most pressure to secure at least a Play-In bid?
SIGN UP TO WATCH EVERY GAME ON NBA LEAGUE PASS: U.S. and U.K. | All other countries
NBA standings 2023
(Current as of March 19)
Eastern Conference
| Seed | Team | Record | Games Back |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Bucks* | 51-20 | — |
| 2. | 76ers | 48-22 | 2.5 |
| 3. | Celtics* | 49-23 | 2.5 |
| 4. | Cavaliers | 45-28 | 7 |
| 5. | Knicks | 42-30 | 9.5 |
| 6. | Nets | 39-32 | 12 |
| 7. | Heat | 39-34 | 13 |
| 8. | Hawks | 35-36 | 16 |
| 9. | Raptors | 35-37 | 16.5 |
| 10. | Bulls | 33-37 | 17.5 |
| — | Pacers | 32-39 | 19 |
| — | Wizards | 32-39 | 19 |
| — | Magic | 29-43 | 22.5 |
*clinched NBA Playoff berth
Eliminated from NBA Playoff contention: Hornets, Pistons
NBA Play-In Tournament pressure tiers
No pressure at all: Magic, Nets, Pacers
The Nets are in position to lock up a top-six seed, but Jacque Vaughn won't be feeling the heat even if they fall apart. Brooklyn is looking toward the future after a messy end to the Kevin Durant-Kyrie Irving era.
On the other end of the East standings, the Magic are more concerned with developing Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner and the rest of their young core than making a deep run. Orlando has already eclipsed its win totals from the previous two seasons, so the 2022-23 campaign should be considered a success.
On Jan. 10, the Pacers owned a 23-18 record and sat at No. 6 in the East. They then lost 16 of their next 18 games — ouch. Tyrese Haliburton missed a large portion of that stretch, though, and Indiana wasn't exactly a popular playoff or Play-In pick coming into the season.
A little bit of pressure: Knicks, Wizards
The Knicks have created some space between themselves and the Play-In field, so they should be able to clinch a playoff berth. New York only lands in this tier because a sudden collapse would be an extremely disappointing end to what has been a fun run.
As for the Wizards, there should be more pressure on them in theory, but did anyone really view them as a serious threat? In the previous five seasons, Washington won 43, 32, 25, 34 and 35 games and never made it past the first round. Can pressure exist when this franchise is right where it was expected to be?
You better make it: Bulls, Hawks, Heat, Raptors
Each of the teams in this tier is trying to win now rather than rebuild, but the Heat and Raptors in particular can't afford to slide out of the Play-In Tournament.
Jimmy Butler has been spectacular since the All-Star break, averaging 25.7 points, 6.6 rebounds, 4.7 assists and 1.5 steals while shooting 60 percent from the field. He is always dangerous in the playoffs, as Celtics supporters can certainly tell you after last year's Eastern Conference Finals series.
But Butler's excellence won't matter if Miami doesn't earn a spot in the bracket. A wasted year of his prime would force Miami's front office to face some difficult questions.
Toronto surprisingly went from projected seller to buyer at the trade deadline, bringing Jakob Poeltl back to his original NBA city. That move has helped, but the Raptors are far from being a juggernaut.
If they fall out of Play-In range, this season would go down as an abject failure for the Raptors, leading to a potential roster shakeup this summer.
