At 59-16, Cleveland continues to roll towards the playoffs winning nine out of their last 10. They have long since clinched the Central division and have a six game lead over Orlando in the East, all but clinching the top spot in the conference. Milwaukee (41-33) continues to play well and currently has the fifth seed. The Magic have clinched a playoff spot and leads Atlanta, who has also clinched a spot by 4 ½ games in the Southeast division. Boston (47-27) has clinched the Atlantic division and will most likely be the third seed. There are seven teams in the East that have a winning record with the Raptors currently holding the 8thspot at 37-37. The only other team in the playoff hunt is Chicago at 35-39. Here is a brief look at my power rankings for the top three teams in the Eastern Conference.
Cleveland Cavaliers (59-16) Current Odds to Win the NBA Championship: 7/5
The Cavs eight game winning streak came to an end after losing to the Spurs 97-102 last Friday night. They bounced back with a 97-90 win over the Kings led by LeBron James 34 points. They ran their new streak to two by escaping with a 101-98 win over the Bucks . Through 75 games James leads in points per game with 29.7 and assists with 8.5 and Antwan Jamison is averaging 8.3 rebounds per game. Next up for the Cavaliers are the Hawks tonight on the road, the Celtics on Sunday at home, back on the road to play the Raptors on Tuesday, and then home against the Bulls on Thursday, April 8th.
Orlando Magic (53-22) Current Odds to Win the NBA Championship: 7/1
Last Friday the Magic bounced back from a tough 84-86 loss to the Hawks with a solid 106-97 win over the Timberwolves. In a showdown with the Nuggets, six players scored in double figures led by J.J. Redick’s 23 points off the bench. Last night they won their third straight game with an impressive 97-82 win over the Mavericks. Through 75 games Dwight Howard leads in points per game with 18.6 and rebounds with 13.3 and Jameer Nelson leads in assists with 5.3. Next up for the Magic are the Spurs on the road tonight, and then back home against the Grizzlies on Sunday and the Wizards on Wednesday, April 7th.
Atlanta Hawks (48-26) Current Odds to Win the NBA Championship: 18/1
The Hawks were shocked by the 76ers last Friday night 98-105. They erased the ugly memory of this game by pounding out a 94-84 win over the Pacers. With seven players scoring in double figures, led by Joe Johnson’s 25, they picked up an impressive 109-92 win over the Lakers. Through 74 games Johnson leads the team in points per game with 21.3 and assists with 4.9. Al Horford is the leading rebounder averaging 9.7 per game. Next up for the Hawks are the Cavaliers tonight in Cleveland, the Pistons on Sunday at home, and then back on the road to face the Bobcats on Tuesday and the Pistons again on Wednesday, April 7th.
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