NBA Eastern Conference playoff image: Knicks margin for error shrinks; Tiebreakers, matchups, projections

In their bid to stay above the play-in line, the No. 5 New York Knicks suffered a tough loss in Miami on Wednesday and cut their lead over the No. 7 Heat to just two in the loss column with a header reduce head-to-head races. Head matchup remain. The Knicks lead the No. 6 nets with just a lead in the loss column.

With two games remaining against the No. 6 Nets, trailing by just one loss in the loss column, the Heat control their own destiny for a top-six finish.

Below is a comprehensive snapshot of the state of the Eastern Conference playoffs and play-in races that come into play on Thursday. This post will be updated daily for the remainder of the regular season or until all seeds are won.

Reminder of how the play-in tournament works: #7 plays against #8 and #9 against #10. The winner of the 7-8 game gets the #7, while the loser plays against the winner of the 9-10 game for the #8.

READ: Western Conference playoff image

NOTE: Developed by predictive data engineer Stephen Oh, our SportsLine model simulates the entire season 10,000 times to produce the most unbiased and accurate predictions imaginable.

• Projected Seed: 1
• Current first round encounter: open
• Tiebreaker vs. Boston: Tie 1-1 with one to play
• Tiebreaker vs Philadelphia: Sixers lead 2-1 with one to play

• Projected Seed: 2
• Current first round encounter: vs. Heat-Hawks Play-In Winner
• Tiebreakers vs. Milwaukee: Tie 1-1 with one to play
• Tiebreaker vs Philadelphia: Celtics won
• Tiebreaker against Cleveland: Cavs bracketed

• Projected Seed: 3
• Current first round encounter: against nets
• Tiebreakers vs. Milwaukee: Tie 1-1 with one to play
• Tiebreaker vs Philadelphia: Celtics won
• Tiebreaker against Cleveland: Sixers bracketed

• Projected Seed: 4
• Current first round encounter: against curtsy
• Tiebreaker vs. Boston: Cavs closed
• Tiebreaker vs Philadelphia: Sixer’s clinch
• Tiebreaker against New York: Knicks lead 2-1 with one to play
• Tiebreaker vs. Brooklyn: Nets lead 1-0 with two to play

5. New York Knicks (42-32)

• Projected Seed: 5
• Current first round encounter: at Cavs
• Tiebreaker vs. Cleveland: Knicks lead 2-1 with a play
• Tiebreaker vs. Brooklyn: Knicks currently own the Via Division winning percentage
• Tiebreaker against Miami: Knicks lead 2-1 with one to play

6. Brooklyn Nets (39-33)

• Projected Seed: 6
• Current first round encounter: at Sixers
• Tiebreaker vs. Cleveland: Nets lead 1-0 with two to play
• Tiebreaker vs New York: Knicks currently own the Via Division winning percentage
• Tiebreaker against Miami: Nets lead 2-0 with one to play
• Tiebreaker vs. Atlanta: Nets lead 2-1 with a play

PLAY-IN TOURNAMENT

7.Miami Heat (40-34)

• Projected Seed: 7
• Current first round encounter: vs. Hawks (Play-In)
• Tiebreaker against New York: Knicks lead 2-1 with one to play
• Tiebreaker vs. Brooklyn: Nets lead 2-0 with two to play
• Tiebreaker vs. Atlanta: Heat clung
• Tiebreaker against Toronto: Raptors lead 2-1 with one to play
• Tiebreaker vs. Washington: Heat leads 2-1 with a play

8.Atlanta Hawks (36-37)

• Projected Seed: 8th
• Current first round encounter: at Heat (Play-in)
• Tiebreaker vs. Brooklyn: Nets lead 2-1 with a play
• Tiebreaker vs. Miami: Heat clung
• Tiebreaker against Toronto: Hawks clipped
• Tiebreaker vs. Washington: Hawks leads 2-1 with one to play
• Tiebreaker vs Chicago: The Bulls lead 2-1 with one to play

9. Toronto Raptors (35-38)

• Projected Seed: 9
• Current first round encounter: vs. Bulls (play-in)
• Tiebreaker vs. Miami: Raptors lead 2-1 with one to play
• Tiebreaker against Atlanta: Hawks clipped
• Tiebreaker vs. Washington: Tie 1-1 with one to play
• Tiebreaker vs. Indiana: Pacers clung
• Tiebreaker vs Chicago: Raptors clung

10.Chicago Bulls (34-38)

• Projected Seed: 10
• Current first round encounter: at Raptors (Play-In)
• Tiebreaker vs. Toronto: Raptors clung
• Tiebreaker vs. Washington: The bulls currently own the winning percentage over the conference
• Tiebreaker vs. Indiana: Pacers clung

LOOKING INSIDE OUTSIDE

11. Indiana Pacers (33-40)

• Projected Seed: lottery
• Tiebreaker vs. Toronto: Pacers clung
• Tiebreaker vs. Washington: Pacers currently own the winning percentage over the conference
• Tiebreaker vs Chicago: Pacers clung

• Projected Seed: lottery
• Tiebreaker vs. Toronto: Tie 1-1 with one to play
• Tiebreaker vs. Indiana: Pacers currently own the winning percentage over the conference
• Tiebreaker vs Chicago: The bulls currently own the winning percentage over the conference