The 2012 NBA Playoffs are only a few weeks away, but it appears the field in the Eastern Conference is just about set, at least in terms of which octet of teams will participate. After a big win over the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday, the New York Knicks seized the eighth seed with some authority by going up two games on the Bucks and taking the tie-breaker out of play. Now the Chicago Bulls and Miami Heat will wait for the Philadelphia 76ers and Knicks to sort out the No. 7 and No. 8 spots and develop the postseason matchups.
Here is a look at the Eastern Conference playoff standings heading into Thursday's slate of games:
| EASTERN | W | L | PCT | GB | CONF | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | x - Chicago Bulls | 44 | 14 | 0.759 | - | 33-8 |
| 2 | x - Miami Heat | 40 | 16 | 0.714 | 3 | 30-9 |
| 3 | Indiana Pacers | 36 | 22 | 0.621 | 8 | 24-17 |
| 4 | Boston Celtics | 34 | 24 | 0.586 | 10 | 27-13 |
| 5 | Atlanta Hawks | 34 | 24 | 0.586 | 10 | 27-15 |
| 6 | Orlando Magic | 34 | 24 | 0.586 | 10 | 27-16 |
| 7 | Philadelphia 76ers | 31 | 27 | 0.534 | 13 | 24-16 |
| 8 | New York Knicks | 30 | 28 | 0.517 | 14 | 23-18 |
Here is a rundown of the relevant tie-breaker rules (via NBA.com):
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a. Two Teams Tied |
b. More Than Two Teams Tied |
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(1) Better winning percentage in games against each other. |
(1) Better winning percentage in all games among the tied teams. |
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(2) Better winning percentage against teams in own conference. |
(2) Better winning percentage against teams in own conference. |
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(3) Better winning percentage against teams eligible for playoffs in own conference (including teams that finished the regular season tied for a playoff position). |
(3) Better winning percentage against teams eligible for playoffs in own conference (including teams that finished the regular season tied for a playoff position). |
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(4) Better winning percentage against teams eligible for playoffs in opposite conference (including teams that finished the regular season tied for a playoff position). |
(4) Better net result of total points scored less total points allowed against all opponents ("point differential"). |
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(5) Better net result of total points scored less total points allowed against all opponents ("point differential"). |
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