With just a few games left on the schedule for the Indiana Pacers, all the focus is about to turn to the playoffs very soon. The Pacers have clinched their second consecutive playoff appearance and will look to go on another deep run after their conference finals appearance last year. While Pacers fans can expect to see their team in the postseason once again, it has yet to be decided who they will go up against or even what seed they will enter the playoffs as.
Currently, the Pacers own sole possession of the No. 4 seed in the East. As it stands, the Pacers are in a good spot to secure homecourt advantage. However, this is not official just yet as they are just three games ahead of the No. 5 seed Milwaukee Bucks in the standings. A lot will have to go wrong for Indiana to fall in the standings, but it is still something to monitor either way.
Furthermore, the Pacers also have an opportunity to leapfrog the New York Knicks for the No. 3 seed in the standings as well. And after Wednesday's games, the Pacers might have gotten a big gift to make this an even bigger possibility.
The No. 3 seed is still in the picture for the Pacers
The Pacers are just two games behind the Knicks in the standings. In an interesting turn of events, the Pacers are actually closer to the No. 3 seed than they are to the No. 5 seed. The team has their eyes set on homecourt advantage, but the No. 3 seed remains with their grasp.
On Wednesday, in a game that may not seem important for the Pacers, the Orlando Magic defeated the Boston Celtics, who benched their starters for the team. With this victory, the Magic have officially clinched the No. 7 seed in the East, meaning their spot in the standings will not change.
The Pacers have three games left on their schedule, and one of them is against the Magic. In addition to Orlando, the Pacers will take on the No. 1 seed Cleveland Cavaliers twice, who have already clinched the top spot in the East. While nothing is official, it is now possible that the Pacers will play each of their last three games against shorthanded teams, which could bode well for them if they want to move past the Knicks in the standings.
There is a legitimate argument to be made that the Pacers do not want the No. 3 seed as it could be worse for their playoff outlook, but it is still an interesting story to monitor nonetheless.