Bucks Can Clinch Homecourt Throughout

The NBA playoff picture will come into clearer view each day between now and the end of the regular season on Sunday. In the meantime, we will provide detailed daily updates on the landscape, including magic numbers, strength of schedule, relevant tiebreakers and the stakes for every day’s slate of games.

EASTERN CONFERENCE

*1. Milwaukee Bucks (57-22)
Magic number for No. 1 seed: 1

2. Boston Celtics (54-25)
Magic number for No. 2 seed: 1

3. Philadelphia 76ers (52-27)

*4. Cleveland Cavaliers (50-30)

*5. New York Knicks (46-33)

6. Brooklyn Nets (43-36)
Magic number for No. 6 seed: 2

Projected record: 45-37
Net rating: 1.1
Remaining schedule: @DET, ORL, PHI
Remaining schedule strength: .430 (easiest of East’s possible play-in teams)
Highest possible finish: No. 6 seed (clinched no lower than No. 7)
Own tiebreakers against: Heat, Hawks, Raptors

PLAY-IN TOURNAMENT

7. Miami Heat (42-37)

Projected record: 43-39
Net rating: -1.0
Remaining schedule: @PHI, @WAS, ORL
Remaining schedule strength: .506 (third-hardest of East’s possible play-in teams)
Highest possible finish: No. 6 seed (clinched no lower than No. 9)
Own tiebreakers against: Hawks

8. Atlanta Hawks (40-39)

Projected record: 41-41
Net rating: 0.1
Remaining schedule: WAS, PHI, @BOS
Remaining schedule strength: .591 (second-hardest of East’s possible play-in teams)
Highest possible finish: No. 6 seed (clinched no lower than No. 10)
Own tiebreakers against: Raptors

9. Toronto Raptors (40-39)

Projected record: 41-41
Net rating: 1.6
Remaining schedule: @BOS, @BOS, MIL
Remaining schedule strength: .696 (hardest of East’s possible play-in teams)
Highest possible finish: No. 7 seed (clinched no lower than No. 10)
Own tiebreakers against: Heat, Bulls

10. Chicago Bulls (38-41)

Projected record: 40-42
Net rating: 1.2
Remaining schedule: @MIL, @DAL, DET
Remaining schedule strength: .464 (second-easiest of East’s possible play-in teams)
Highest possible finish: No. 8 seed (clinched no lower than No. 10)

Other meaningful tiebreakers

* Milwaukee, Cleveland and New York are locked into the Nos. 1, 4 and 5 seeds, respectively.
• Boston holds the tiebreaker for the No. 3 seed against Philadelphia.

First-round playoff series

Tuesday’s schedule (all times Eastern)

Brooklyn at Detroit (7 p.m.)
Washington at Atlanta (7:30 p.m.): The Hawks can clinch no lower than the No. 9 seed with a win and a Chicago loss.
Toronto at Boston (7:30 p.m.): The Celtics can clinch a top-two seed with a win. The Raptors can clinch no lower than the No. 9 seed with a win.
Chicago at Milwaukee (7:30 p.m., ESPN): The Bucks can clinch the No. 1 seed and homecourt advantage throughout the playoffs with a win or a Boston loss. A Bulls loss and an Atlanta win would lock Chicago into the 10th seed.

Much is at stake when Giannis Antetokounmpo's Milwaukee Bucks host Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan and the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday night. (Jeff Hanisch/USA Today Sports)

WESTERN CONFERENCE

1. Denver Nuggets (52-27)
Magic number for No. 1 seed: 1

2. Memphis Grizzlies (50-29)
Magic number for No. 2 seed: 2

3. Sacramento Kings (48-31)

*4. Phoenix Suns (44-35)

5. Golden State Warriors (42-38)

6. Los Angeles Clippers (41-38)

Projected record: 43-39
Net rating: 0.2
Remaining schedule: LAL, POR, @PHX
Remaining schedule strength: .498 (third-easiest of West’s potential play-in teams)
Highest possible finish: No. 5 seed (clinched no lower than No. 9)
Own tiebreakers against: Lakers, Warriors

PLAY-IN TOURNAMENT

7. Los Angeles Lakers (41-38)

Projected record: 43-39
Net rating: 0.5
Remaining schedule: @LAC, PHX, UTA
Remaining schedule strength: .511 (fifth-hardest of West’s potential play-in teams)
Highest possible finish: No. 5 seed (clinched no lower than No. 9)
Own tiebreakers against: Warriors, Pelicans, Thunder

8. New Orleans Pelicans (40-39)

Projected record: 41-41
Net rating: 1.8
Remaining schedule: MEM, NYK, @MIN
Remaining schedule strength: .571 (hardest of West’s potential play-in teams)
Highest possible finish: No. 5 seed (clinched no lower than No. 10)
Own tiebreakers against: Clippers, Thunder

9. Minnesota Timberwolves (40-40)

Projected record: 41-41
Net rating: -0.1
Remaining schedule: @SAS, NOP
Remaining schedule strength: .380 (easiest of West’s potential play-in teams)
Highest possible finish: No. 5 seed (clinched no lower than No. 9)
Own tiebreakers against: Clippers, Lakers, Thunder, Mavericks

10. Oklahoma City Thunder (38-42)

Projected record: 39-43
Net rating: 0.8
Remaining schedule: @UTA, MEM
Remaining schedule strength: .544 (third-hardest of West’s potential play-in teams)
Highest possible finish: No. 10 seed
Own tiebreakers against: Clippers, Mavericks

—

11. Dallas Mavericks (37-42)

Projected record: 39-43
Net rating: 0.1
Remaining schedule: SAC, CHI, SAS
Remaining schedule strength: .447 (second-easiest of West’s potential play-in teams)
Highest possible finish: No. 9 seed
Own tiebreakers against: Jazz

12. Utah Jazz (36-43)

Projected record: 37-45
Net rating: -0.5
Remaining schedule: OKC, DEN, @LAL
Remaining schedule strength: .550 (second-hardest of West’s potential play-in teams)
Highest possible finish: No. 10 seed
Own tiebreakers against: Clippers, Pelicans

Other meaningful tiebreakers

* Phoenix is locked into the No. 4 seed.
• Sacramento currently holds the tiebreaker for the No. 2 seed against Memphis.

Tuesday’s schedule (all times Eastern)

Memphis at New Orleans (8 p.m.): The Grizzlies can clinch a top-two seed with a win and a Sacramento loss. A Memphis loss gives Denver the No. 1 seed and homecourt advantage throughout the Western Conference playoffs. The Pelicans can clinch no lower than the No. 9 seed with a win.
Sacramento at Dallas (8:30 p.m.)
Lakers at Clippers (10 p.m.)

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