In the
West, the New Orleans Hornets and the OKC Thunder are in a tight race for the 8th
spot in the playoffs. Accordingly, Brooklyn and Indiana are tied for 8th
in the East. The Thunder lost to the Pacers on Sunday night, but the Pelicans
also lost to the Rockets making the race even more intense. Accordingly, the
Nets and Pacers (in the East) are racing for the final spot—each team has a
37-43 record, but the Nets have the tie-breaker advantage after winning in 2/3
regular-season matches.
Although
Miami is still technically in the race, they have no control over their fate.
They are 35-45 this season and have to fight to win in their final two games
along with hope that the Pacers/Nets will lose both of their final games in the
regular season.
Lastly, the
Celtics are still in the race but their fate is not as fortunate as the Pacers
or the Nets. Isaiah Thomas of the
Celtics was named Eastern Conference player of the week (for April 6-April 12)
averaging 22.7 points per game with 5.7 assists and 2.7 rebounds. On April 8,
he scored a season-high 34 points.