Sure, New Jersey could catch Miami and take over the #2 seed in the East, but the Heat have a 3.5 game lead with nine games to play, so unless Miami takes a dump, they’ll keep the #2 slot. The Nets and Cavs are both streaking, winning 12 and eight straight, respectively. Cleveland is in a similar position as Dallas in the West, even if they finish third in the conference, they’re still looking at the #4 seed and a potential second round matchup with division rival Detroit.
Washington and Milwaukee are battling for the fifth seed, with the Bucks trailing the Wizards by just a half game. Washington is 2-1 against the Cavs and 1-2 against New Jersey, so they’d probably rather play Cleveland. The Bucks are 1-2 against the Nets and 1-3 against the Cavs, so there’s no advantage for them to play one team or the other.
In the end, it’s not just looking like a Detroit/Miami battle in the Conference Finals. With New Jersey and Cleveland playing so well, we should be treated to some really good games in the potential Pistons/Cavs and Heat/Nets matchups.
