Eddie House catches up with Kristaps Porzingis in an exclusive 1-on-1 interview following the Celtics’ 132-102 win over the Suns.
The Boston Celtics are pretty much a lock to finish as the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference, but their first-round opponent in the 2025 NBA playoffs is still up in the air.
Boston has a 98.5 percent chance of finishing second in the conference, per Basketball Reference's playoff probabilities. Despite a seven-game win streak and nine victories in their last 10 games, the C's still trail the first-place Cleveland Cavaliers by 4.5 games.
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The race for the No. 7 seed, which will be determined by the winner of the No. 7 vs. No. 8 play-in tournament game, is still mostly a two-horse race between the Atlanta Hawks and Orlando Magic.
Here's an updated look at the probabilities:
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The Hawks remain in the driver's seat to host the first play-in tournament game, but their margin for error is slim. However, one factor in Atlanta's favor is it has the fourth-easiest remaining schedule in the league, per Tankathon.
The Magic have won three games in a row for the first time since December, including a 118-106 home victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Monday. The Magic have two more games against the Hawks over the final four matchups of the season, including the regular season finale April 13. Those games will be pivotal.
The red-hot Chicago Bulls, who have won eight of their last 10 games, remain in the mix. Bulls point guard Coby White is playing the best basketball of his career, averaging 29.8 points in March (12 games).
The Miami Heat were in the race at one point, but a 2-8 record over their last 10 games has made it quite difficult for them to get the No. 7 seed.
The Celtics know where they'll land in the playoff seeding, but the race for the No. 7 seed is worth paying close attention to over the final couple weeks of the regular season, especially with the Bulls making a late charge to challenge the Hawks and Magic.
