Pacers Back In The Fold, Heat Still Alive

With only two days left in the regular season a hand full of teams are still competing to pick up playoff spots.

The Miami Heat stayed alive yesterday by defeating the Orlando Magic, 100-93. They also benefited from the Chicago Bulls defeating another team fighting for a postseaosn berth, the Brooklyn Nets.

It is mathematically possible for the Heat to get in to the playoffs. It is also mathematically improbable for the Heat to get in the playoffs. In order for the Heat to get in, the Washington Wizards would have to beat Indiana today. Tomorrow, Miami will have to defeat the 76ers, Orlando would have to lose to the Nets and Memphis would have to roll over the Indiana Pacers.

Miami has gone 3-7 over their last 10. They will need a big turn of fortune for them to secure a postseason spot.

Meanwhile, the team currently holding the No.8 seed is getting hot at the right time. The Pacers are rolling. They have won five consecutive games and after the controversial season they had last year and with the return of Paul George from a horrific injury, there would be something poetic about them holding on to the No.8 seed. They will have two teams that have already clinched playoff spots over the next two days, the Wizards and Grizzlies, so it is an uphill battle.

The best thing the Pacers can do to secure their playoff spot, is to keep winning, as Brooklyn is one win and one Pacers loss away from taking the No. 8 seed.

The West also has a No. 8 seed race going on as well. With the Oklahoma City Thunder beating the Portland Trail Blazers last night, they are neck and neck with the New Orleans Pelicans for the final spot in the West’s playoff picture.

For the Thunder and the Pelicans it comes down to the last day and betting odds are largely in favor of OKC. The Pelicans will have the San Antonio Spurs as their final opponents. A team that has won 11 straight games. Meanwhile, the Thunder will take on the Minnesota Timberwolves, who have a streak of their own going, 11 straight losses.

Meanwhile, the future odds for winning the NBA Championship look pretty similar to what they did before this close race developed. Teams like the Pacers and Thunder have been simply tacked on to near the bottom of the odds. The top three teams remain unchanged. You can check out the full future odds below from Bovada:

Golden State Warriors
2/1

Cleveland Cavaliers
21/10

San Antonio Spurs
5/2

Atlanta Hawks
16/1

Chicago Bulls
16/1

Houston Rockets
25/1

Los Angeles Clippers
25/1

Memphis Grizzlies
33/1

Dallas Mavericks
50/1

Portland Trailblazers
50/1

Oklahoma City Thunder
66/1

Toronto Raptors
66/1

Boston Celtics
75/1

Washington Wizards
100/1

Indiana Pacers
150/1

New Orleans Pelicans
200/1

Brooklyn Nets
250/1

Milwaukee Bucks
250/1