La victoria del Heat de Miami el lunes por la noche los mantuvo en la cacería por la plaza final de la postemporada en la Conferencia Este.
Una derrota habría liquidado las dos últimas semillas en el Este y el conjunto de la NBA desde que los ocho equipos de la Conferencia Oeste ya están solidificados. Sin embargo, la victoria del Heat sobre los Cleveland Cavaliers por 124-121 en tiempo extra significa que las eliminatorias finales no se decidirán hasta el final de la temporada regular del miércoles.
La victoria de Miami también mantuvo la semilla N º 1 viva. Si los Cavs hubieran ganado y los Boston Celtics perdido, Cleveland habría aprovechado el mejor récord general de la conferencia y el lugar de casa al menos en la final de la NBA. Los Celtics, que se adjudicaron la división con la victoria del lunes 114-105 sobre los Nets de Brooklyn, entrarán en el último partido de la temporada regular un juego por delante de los Cavs.
Los Cavs habían declarado que su objetivo era ganar el Este, aunque curiosamente descansaron LeBron James y Kyrie Irving el lunes.
Según la NBA, aquí están los escenarios para esos tres equipos:
Indiana será:
No. 6 si Pacers gana, Hawks pierden ante Hornets y Bucks gana.
No. 7 si Pacers gana y Hawks vence a Hornets o si Pacers gana, Bucks pierde y Hawks pierden a Hornets o si Pacers pierde y Heat y Bulls pierden ambos.
No. 8 si Pacers pierde y Bulls o Heat ganan (pero no ambos).
ELIMINADO si los Pacers pierden y tanto Bulls como Heat ganan.
Chicago será:
No. 7 si los Bulls ganan y los Pacers pierden.
No. 8 si los Bulls ganan y los Pacers ganan o si los Bulls pierden y Heat pierde.
ELIMINADO si Bulls pierden y Heat gana.
Miami será:
No. 7 si Heat gana y Pacers y Bulls pierden.
No. 8 si Heat y Bulls ganan y Pacers pierde o si Heat y Pacers ganan y Bulls
perder.
ELIMINADO si Bulls y Pacers ganan o Heat pierde.
Actuales encuentros de playoff si la temporada terminó el lunes por la noche, por la NBA:
The Miami Heat’s victory Monday night kept them in the hunt for the final playoff berth in the Eastern Conference.
A loss would have settled the final two seeds in the East and the NBA overall since the Western Conference’s eight playoff teams are already solidified. But the Heat’s 124-121 overtime victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers means the final playoff slots won’t be decided until Wednesday’s regular-season finale.
Miami’s win also kept the No. 1 seed in flux. Had the Cavs won and the Boston Celtics lost, Cleveland would have seized the conference’s best overall record and home court at least to the NBA Finals. The Celtics, who clinched the division with Monday’s 114-105 victory over the Brooklyn Nets, will enter the final game of the regular season a game ahead of the Cavs.
The Cavs had stated their goal was to win the East, although they curiously rested LeBron James and Kyrie Irving on Monday.
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The Cavs hold the tiebreaker if the two teams finish tied atop the Eastern Conference at 52-30, as Cleveland won three of four games against Boston this season.
The Indiana Pacers (41-40), Chicago Bulls (40-41) and Heat (40-41) are jostling for the bottom two seeds in the East. According to the NBA, here are the scenarios for those three teams:
Indiana will be:
No. 6 if Pacers win, Hawks lose to Hornets and Bucks win.
No. 7 if Pacers win and Hawks beat Hornets or if Pacers win, Bucks lose and Hawks lose to Hornets or if Pacers lose and Heat and Bulls both lose.
No. 8 if Pacers lose and either Bulls or Heat win (but not both).
ELIMINATED if Pacers lose and both Bulls and Heat win.
Chicago will be:
No. 7 if Bulls win and Pacers lose.
No. 8 if Bulls win and Pacers win or if Bulls lose and Heat lose.
ELIMINATED if Bulls lose and Heat win.
Miami will be:
No. 7 if Heat win and Pacers and Bulls lose.
No. 8 if Heat and Bulls win and Pacers lose or if Heat and Pacers win and Bulls
lose.
ELIMINATED if Bulls and Pacers win or Heat lose.
Current playoff matchups if the season concluded Monday night, per the NBA:
Eastern Conference
No. 1 Boston vs. No. 8 Chicago (Series tied 2-2)
No. 3. Toronto vs. No. 6 Milwaukee (Toronto won 3-1)
No. 2 Cleveland vs. No. 7 Indiana (Cleveland won 3-1)
No. 4 Washington vs. No. 5 Atlanta (Washington won 3-1)
Western Conference
No. 1 Golden State vs. No. 8 Portland (Golden State won 4-0)
No. 2 San Antonio vs. No. 7 Memphis (Series tied 2-2)
No. 3 Houston vs. No. 6 Oklahoma City (Houston won 3-1)
No. 4 L.A. Clippers vs. No. 5 Utah (L.A. Clippers won 3-1)
Remaining games:
Eastern Conference
Boston (1) – HOME (1): 4/12 MIL.
Cleveland (1) – HOME (1): 4/12 TOR.
Washington (1) – ROAD (1): 4/12 MIA.
Toronto (1) – ROAD (1): 4/12 CLE.
Atlanta (2) – HOME (1): 4/11 CHA. ROAD (1): 4/12 IND.
Milwaukee (1) – ROAD (1): 4/12 BOS.
Indiana (1) – HOME (1): 4/12 ATL.
Chicago (1) – HOME (1): 4/12 BRK.
Miami (1) – HOME (1): 4/12 WAS.
Western Conference
Golden State (1) – HOME (1): 4/12 LAL.
San Antonio (1) – ROAD (1): 4/12 UTA.
Utah (1) – HOME (1): 4/12 SA.
Houston (1) – HOME (1): 4/12 MIN.
L.A. Clippers (1) – HOME (1): 4/12 SAC.
Oklahoma City (2) – HOME (1): 4/12 DEN. ROAD (1): 4/11 MIN.
Memphis (1) – HOME (1): 4/12 DAL.
Portland (1) – HOME (1): 4/12 NO.
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