At 57-15, Cleveland continues to roll towards the playoffs winning their last eight straight. They have a seven game lead over Orlando in the East with about 10 games left in the regular season. The Cavs have clinched the Central division, but Milwaukee (39-31) continues to play well winning eight out of their last 10. The Magic have clinched a playoff spot and leads Atlanta, who has also clinched a spot by 3 ½ games in the Southeast division. In the Atlantic division, Boston has also clinched a spot in the postseason and at 46-25 has a 10 ½ game lead over Toronto. There are seven teams in the East that have a winning record with the Raptors currently holding the 8thspot at 35-35. The only other team in the playoff hunt is Chicago at 33-37. Here is a brief look at my power rankings for the top three teams in the Eastern Conference.
Cleveland Cavaliers (57-15) Current Odds to Win the NBA Championship: 9/5
Lebron James had 29 points, 11 rebounds, and seven assists in a 92-85 win over the Bulls last Friday night. In a 104-79 romp over the Pistons, six players scored in double figures as the built a 13 point lead at the half and coasted from there. They ran their current winning streak to eight games with a 102-95 win over the Hornets. Through 72 games James leads in points per game with 29.8 and assists with 8.5 and Antwan Jamison is averaging eight rebounds per game. Next up for the Cavaliers are the Spurs tonight on the road, and then back home against the Kings on Sunday and the Bucks on Wednesday, March 31st.
Orlando Magic (50-22) Current Odds to Win the NBA Championship: 5/1
This past Monday night against the 76ers, Rashard Lewis led all scorers with 24 points and Dwight Howard added 23 points and 15 rebounds in a 109-93 win on the road. In their only other game in the past seven days, they dropped a two point 84-86 decision to the Hawks to keep the title race in the Southeast division a tight one. Through 72 games Howard leads in points per game with 18.5 and rebounds with 13.3 and Jameer Nelson leads in assists with 5.3. Next up for the Magic are the Timberwolves tonight and the Nuggets on Sunday at home, and then on the road to play the Mavericks on Thursday, April 1st.
Atlanta Hawks (46-25) Current Odds to Win the NBA Championship: 12/1
Last Friday night, the Hawks won a 93-92 OT with thriller over the Bobcats with three players turning in a double-double. In their next game, they pounded out a 119-114 win over the Spurs with three players scoring 20+ points. Joe Johnson’s team high 27 points were not enough in a 98-95 loss to the Bucks. On Wednesday night they bounced back with a huge 86-84 win over the Magic. Through 71 games Johnson leads the team in points per game with 21.4 and assists with 4.8. Al Horford is the leading rebounder averaging 9.7 per game. Next up for the Hawks are the 76ers on the road tonight, and then back home against the Pacers on Sunday and the Lakers on Wednesday, March 31st.
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