Three teams in the subpar Eastern Conference are still very much alive in the playoff race for the eighth seed...even with losing records. Those three teams are the Atlanta Hawks (31-40) who now hold the advantage for the 8th seed followed by the New York Knicks (30-42) and the Cleveland Cavaliers (29-44). I would have never imagined that a team nine games under .500 would have the eighth and final seed in the conference. There is light at the end of the tunnel for one of these teams, but who will it be? Who will take on the Indiana Pacers (52-20) in the NBA Playoffs?First, lets check out the remaining schedule of these three teams, and my best friend, STATISTICS! By the end of this article, we will know who will win the coveted eighth seed, and the other two teams who will be watching the NBA Playoffs from home.
The Hawks are 5-5 in their last ten games and are desperate for a playoff appearance. Last night, they came off of a 15 point loss against Terry Stotts and the Portland Trail Blazers which narrowed their lead in the eighth seed, giving New York an advantage to creep up behind them and scheme their way into the playoffs. In their eleven remaining games, they host the Philadelphia Sixers, Chicago Bulls, Cleveland Cavaliers, Detroit Pistons, Boston Celtics, Miami Heat and the Charlotte Bobcats. On the road, they will travel to face the Washington Wizards, Indiana Pacers, Brooklyn Nets, and the Milwaukee Bucks. Of those eleven remaining teams, six of them are currently over .500, while five of them sit at the bottom of their conference.
Despite their eighth seed position,the Hawks have lost five in a row, and they are 2-8 in their last ten against road teams. Home is not that much better as they are 4-6 in their last ten. They definitely stand the chance of losing their position in the playoffs if they cannot win the games that they SHOULD be able to win. The Hawks are not ready for the playoffs because they are dangerously inconsistent and have subpar performance on the court. If they do make the playoffs, it would be a surprise. I believe that they will go 4-7 in their final eleven games.
The Wizards (36-35) who are barely above .500 and have the sixth seed will square off against the Hawks tonight at the Verizon Center in our nation's capital.
Mike Woodson and the New York Knicks are desperately attempting to claw their way into the playoffs and it seems as though they will have a hell of a battle trying to get there. The Knicks are one step behind the Hawks for the last seed. They are 8-2 in their last ten games. Two of those losses have come from the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Los Angeles Lakers. Since the hiring of Phil Jackson, the Knicks seem as though they really have something to prove now. They put the horrid and embarrassing loss against the Los Angeles Lakers behind them and traveled to Sacramento to defeat the Kings by eight points. Things seem to be looking up for the New York Knicks, but is it enough?
The Knicks have ten remaining games left on their schedule. Nine of the ten teams that they have to face are currently playoff teams. Six of the ten games are on the road against the Phoenix Suns (43-29) who currently hold the 8th seed in the West with the Dallas Mavericks (43-30) breathing down their necks, Golden State Warriors, Utah Jazz, Miami Heat, Toronto Raptors, and the Brooklyn Nets. The final four home games are against the Brooklyn Nets, Washington Wizards, Chicago Bulls and the Toronto Raptors.
Trying to get into the playoffs will not be easy for the New York Knicks. However, if the Hawks continue with their streak of the bad luck, somehow, they just might luck into that final spot. The Hawks have an easier remaining schedule than the Knicks have. But it has proven that the Hawks are inconsistent. They may win and then they may not. Right now, the Knicks cannot worry about the Hawks, they HAVE to win at least seven or eight of these games to really have a lock on the eighth seed.
There are many scenarios to how this brawl could come out. The Knicks are 5-5 at home in their last ten, and 5-5 on the road in their last ten.
The wild card to this 8th seed playoff race is the Cleveland Cavaliers who are also pushing to make a playoff run. They are 3-7 at home in their last ten, and 6-4 in their last ten on the road. It seems as though they can win on the road, but cant at home. What's wrong with that picture? The Cavaliers have the talent in their players but lack a leader in head coach, Mike Brown to realistically make a playoff run. The Cleveland team is 5-5 in their last ten games. They were able to beat the Suns and the Warriors in two straight road games which is really impressive for a team that is actually fighting for a playoff spot in the lowly Eastern Conference.
The Cavaliers have eight remaining games left in the 2013-14 season after they play the Brooklyn Nets tonight at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. On the road, they will travel and play the Brooklyn Nets, Orlando Magic, Atlanta Hawks, and the Milwaukee Bucks. They will play host at The Q in Cleveland, Ohio to the Charlotte Bobcats, Detroit Pistons, Boston Celtics, and Brooklyn Nets. Out of eight of those teams, three of them are currently in the NBA Playoff picture and only one is over .500. What a scenario! Playoff aspirations without a winning record! I guess that is what happens when you are lucky enough to be in the Eastern Conference.
New York has a tougher schedule than the Cavaliers and the Hawks. Basically, the 8th seed is up for grabs and it will be very interesting to see these three teams come to a head as they close out the regular season.
One of these three teams will have a chance to play Cinderella in the playoffs this year...but who will it be?
CST_SportSnitch
Briyant Hines, Writer
