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There's a strong chance the Boston Celtics finish as the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference entering the 2025 NBA playoffs. They are 8.5 games behind the first-place Cleveland Cavaliers and 4.5 games up on the third-place New York Knicks.
If the C's do finish No. 2, they would play the No. 7 seed in the first round of the playoffs. The No. 7 seed will be determined by the winner of the No. 7 vs. No. 8 game in the play-in tournament.
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Which teams are most likely to land in the No. 7 spot and play Boston? There are three teams firmly in the mix, although a few others could become possibilities.
Here's an updated look at the probabilities:
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The Atlanta Hawks are the favorites to finish seventh in the East.
The Celtics have surprisingly had some trouble with the Hawks in recent seasons. The Hawks are 4-3 in their last seven games against the Celtics since the beginning of the 2023-24 campaign, including a 2-1 advantage in the season series this year.
The Celtics and Hawks have met 13 times in the playoffs, beginning with Boston's first title win in the 1957 NBA Finals. The Hawks were in St. Louis back then. Overall, Boston is 11-2 in playoff series versus the Hawks, including a 4-2 series triumph in the first round in 2023. Boston and Atlanta have played in the first round five times and the C's won four of those series.
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The Orlando Magic have the second-best chance to play the C's in Round 1.
The Magic have played the Celtics tough in recent years, too, with a 2-3 record versus Boston since the start of last season. Orlando's roster has been ravaged by injuries all season, including guard Jalen Suggs, who is out indefinitely with a knee issue. But despite the injuries, the Magic still rank No. 2 in defensive rating (109.4). Orlando has a lot of size, athleticism and length on defense.
The Miami Heat are the next-likeliest first-round opponent for the Celtics.
If this matchup comes to fruition, it will be the fourth consecutive year these teams have met in the playoffs. But this version of the Heat is far worse than previous seasons. Jimmy Butler was dealt to the Golden State Warriors ahead of the trade deadline. The Heat rank 21st in offensive rating, and without Butler, they don't have a go-to scoring option in crunch time.
Boston is 2-0 versus Miami this season and will play the Heat twice more before the regular season concludes, including Friday at Kaseya Center.
The Celtics will be heavy favorites regardless of which opponent they play in Round 1, but a few of these teams could potentially steal a win or two from the defending champs if they don't bring their "A" game each night.
