This is how the exciting battle for home-court advantage is going in the Eastern Conference

Great emotions lie ahead in this final stretch of the season, which will be marked by the battle on many fronts, with one of the most interesting being the one that will unfold in the Eastern Conference to secure the fourth spot, providing home court advantage in the first series and avoiding the Celtics in hypothetical semifinals. Indiana Pacers, Milwaukee Bucks, and Detroit Pistons are involved.

They don't start with a real aspiration to contend for the championship, but there are several franchises in the Eastern Conference that possess everything necessary to make things difficult for anyone and dream of a great surprise. New York Knicks doesn't seem to be above them, while Boston Celtics and Cleveland Cavaliers should be in a higher tier. Therefore, starting the playoffs with a home court advantage and avoiding facing the Celtics in a semifinal showdown, whose experience and intangibles are more intimidating than the collective good performance of the Cavs, will be a top priority.

At this moment, with 18 games left in the regular season, there is a three-way tie between Milwaukee Bucks, Indiana Pacers, and Detroit Pistons. It would be logical to think that Antetokounmpo's team is favored to prevail in this triad, due to their experience in big games and ability to elevate their level under pressure, as seen in the NBA Cup. However, there is a clear upward trend both in the Minneapolis and Motor City teams, who have nothing to lose.

Furthermore, the Pacers have the most manageable schedule until the end of the year, in contrast to the situations faced by both the Bucks and the Pistons, who are among the top 8 teams with a more challenging remaining schedule this season. It will be interesting to monitor how a struggle unfolds, with consequences that can be very significant in the postseason, as the team pushed to sixth place will face the Knicks, if everything proceeds normally.

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Así está la apasionante lucha por el factor cancha en la Conferencia Este