Celtics pull into virtual tie with Cavs atop East
The Cleveland Cavaliers and Boston Celtics are heading in completely opposite directions to close the 2016-17 regular season, leaving the top seed in the Eastern Conference very much up for grabs.
By pulling out a narrow 112-108 victory over the visiting Miami Heat at the TD Garden Sunday night, the Boston Celtics now find themselves in a virtual tie with the reigning NBA champions.
| Seed | Team | Record | Win% | GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cavaliers | 47-25 | 0.653 | - |
| 2 | Celtics | 48-26 | 0.649 | - |
| 3 | Wizards | 45-28 | 0.616 | 2.5 |
| 4 | Raptors | 44-29 | 0.603 | 3.5 |
| 5 | Hawks | 37-36 | 0.507 | 10.5 |
| 6 | Bucks | 37-36 | 0.507 | 10.5 |
| 7 | Pacers | 37-36 | 0.507 | 10.5 |
| 8 | Heat | 35-38 | 0.479 | 12.5 |
By virtue of having played two more games than Cleveland (one more win and one more loss), the Celtics remain second in the East because of their winning percentage.
Nonetheless, Boston extended its winning streak to five games by holding off the Heat, while the Cavaliers are just 5-7 in their last 12 outings.
The Celtics haven't ended a campaign with the No. 1 seed in the conference since 2007-08, which was when they last hoisted the Larry O'Brien trophy by eliminating the Los Angeles Lakers in six games.
Isaiah Thomas scored a game-high 30 points on 10-of-18 shooting against Miami, while Jae Crowder chipped in 25 points and six rebounds.