Just about every season in the NBA, there’s always a “Battle Royale” for the eighth and final playoff spot in the western and eastern conferences. This year is no exception, as the eighth seed in the east is up for grabs. It’s between the Orlando Magic, who clinched their playoff ticket against the Boston Celtics last night in Boston, the Detroit Pistons, Charlotte Hornets, and Miami Heat. Let’s break down who will be the eighth seed in the east when the playoffs begin on Saturday.
Orlando Magic
As stated, the Magic clinched a playoff birth last night, rallying from a four point halftime deficit to win 116-108 in Boston. They clinched their first playoff birth since 2012, which was Dwight Howard’s final year with the franchise. The playoffs didn’t look like a possibility for the Magic when they lost 126-117 to the Oklahoma City Thunder on January 29th at home.
However, since then, they’ve put together a good stretch of basketball. After last night’s win, the Magic are now 21-10 since their loss to the Thunder. Head coach Steve Clifford has done a great job getting the most out of his players.
Big man Nikola Vucevic, who made his first All-Star appearance this season, looks to lead the Magic in the playoffs. They know they’ll be playing next weekend, but their seeding and matchup is up in the air. They can move up to the sixth seed with a win against the Hornets and a Brooklyn Nets loss to the Heat on Wednesday night. However, if the Magic lose their final game of the regular season, that could mean trouble.
It’s due to not having the head to head tiebreaker over the Pistons, who are 3-1 against them this season. The Pistons can still move back up to the seven seed with wins over the Memphis Grizzlies and New York Knicks. So for the Magic, winning in Charlotte on Wednesday is important if they don’t want to see the Milwaukee Bucks in the first round.
Detroit Pistons
Like the Magic, the Pistons don’t know what their playoff position will be. In fact, there’s a possibility Detroit might be on the outside looking in when the dust settles. They enter today losers of four straight and have dropped seven of ten to make things uncomfortable for themselves.
The Pistons lost at home 104-91 to a surging Hornets team due to Blake Griffin having an off night. Griffin shot 5-18 (2-11 from 3-point range) from the field and scored 16 points. He’s also dealing with a sore left knee, which has limited him. For the Pistons to clinch a playoff birth, they’re going to need everyone to step up. They could’ve clinched on Sunday, but now they have to dig down deep and get it done.
The Pistons, however, control their own destiny, but they still have to get the job done. They have the Grizzlies at home on Tuesday and the Knicks at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday. Obviously, both teams are lottery bound, but both are capable of putting together a good night of basketball.
Detroit will be playing two teams that will have nothing to lose, so they’ll need to come in focused or they could be disappointed. Their goal is still in front of them despite yesterday’s disappointing loss. The Pistons need to win their final two games to clinch their first playoff appearance since the 2016 season.
Charlotte Hornets
The Hornets are putting together a good stretch of basketball. They’ve won seven of ten and are one game behind the Pistons for the eighth and final playoff spot in the east. During that stretch, they beat the Celtics 124-117, which they went on a 30-5 run to nail down the win. They also have defeated the Toronto Raptors twice, which Jeremy Lamb hit a big three in both matchups to seal wins for the Hornets.
Their road to clinching a playoff spot can be a little bumpy. The Hornets face the Cleveland Cavaliers on the road on Tuesday, but face the Magic at home on Wednesday. It’s tricky because it’s all going to depend how Orlando approaches their matchup. They can choose to rest their key players or go all out for the win.
The Hornets also have the tiebreaker edge over the Pistons. After last night’s win, they’re now 4-0 against Detroit this season, which puts the pressure on them to win out. If Charlotte does complete their rally for a playoff spot, they can say they played their best basketball at the right time.
Miami Heat
For the Heat, their road to make the playoffs is hanging by a thread. After losing 117-109 in overtime to the Raptors on the road on Sunday, their hopes are looking slim. They’ve lost four straight games and are 5-5 in their last ten contests.
It also doesn’t help having Josh Richardson in street clothes. Richardson suffered a hop strain in Miami’s 110-105 loss at home to the Celtics last week. The injury is likely going to keep him out for the remainder of the regular season. Injuries have also been a reason why the Heat have struggled. Justise Winslow, who suffered a thigh injury in March, returned last week.
The Heat host the Philadelphia 76ers on Tuesday and face the Nets on the road on Wednesday. So their road to make it won’t be easy, but it’s still doable. Obviously, they would have to win out, hope the Pistons lose their remaining two games, and hope for the Hornets to lose one more. No doubt, it’s not looking pleasant for the Heat, but if they want Dwyane Wade’s “last dance” to continue, winning is the only option.
Prediction: Who Will Make The Playoffs?
Every team in the east fighting for the eighth and final playoff spot has a different path. However, only one can claim the final playoff spot in the east. The team who will claim the final spot will be the Hornets because Griffin’s left knee is a concern. Also, momentum is contagious and Charlotte seems to have things clicking while the Pistons and Heat are limping.
