'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
After 82 regular-season games, the NBA Eastern Conference playoffs have finally been determined. Well, mostly. Seeds seven and eight are still up for grabs, and four teams will battle it out through the NBA Play-In Tournament to see who gets the last two playoff berths.
The Boston Celtics were the clear No. 1 team throughout the season, not just in the Eastern Conference but in the entire NBA. As such, they enter the playoffs as the first seed and will have homecourt advantage through it.
While the Celtics established themselves as the best team from the get-go, it took until the final day of the season to determine who would take the other five guaranteed spots in the Eastern Conference playoffs.
After a grueling overtime win over the Chicago Bulls, the New York Knicks ended up with the second seed. The Bucks, who were second before the final set of games, dropped down to third, and the Cleveland Cavaliers took the fourth seed.
Both the Orlando Magic and the Indiana Pacers are tied with a 47-35 record, but due to the Magic winning the regular-season series matchup between them, they end up at No. 5 while the Pacers take the sixth seed.
Looking at the confirmed matchups for the Eastern Conference playoffs bracket
Currently, only two sets of matchups have been confirmed. That is between the fourth and fifth seeds, as well as the one between the third and sixth.
This means that for the opening round of the playoffs, the No. 3 seed Milwaukee Bucks take on the No. 6 seed Indiana Pacers, and the No. 4 seed Cleveland Cavaliers will face the Orlando Magic in a seven-game series.
Due to the NBA's Play-In Tournament, the Boston Celtics and New York Knicks will have to wait a while before they find out which team they are facing in the Eastern Conference playoffs.
The only possible team for the Knicks to face is either the Philadelphia 76ers or the Miami Heat, who will face each other in the Play-In Tournament. The winner of this matchup will automatically be the seventh seed.
Meanwhile, whoever loses will have to face the winner of the Chicago Bulls vs. Atlanta Hawks matchup to earn the right to face the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference playoffs as the eighth seed.
This means that the Celtics will need to be ready to face any of the four teams in the Play-In Tournament.
On paper, the Celtics do have an advantage over whoever they face in the opening round. However, if there's one thing we can take away from last year's postseason, it's that we can never count out a team, not even the eighth seed, as an upset can come from anywhere in the NBA.
Guess the Lakers players!
