NBA Playoffs 2014: Indiana Pacers magic number to clinch No. 1 seed is one
By Josh Hill
The Indiana Pacers have been oft-criticized tis second half of the season for their lack o chemistry and overall spiral downward in the Eastern Conference. But while the team has struggle recently, it seems they’re turning it on at the right time and are now just a single game away from winning the No. 1 seed and home court advantage in the East.
And the best part is, the Pacers don’t even have to play the game that counts.
Coming into Sunday’s game against the Oklahoma City Thunder — a possible NBA Finals preview — the Pacers were tied with the Miami Heat for the top spot in the East. With the win, the Pacers just need the Heat to lose to either the Washington Wizards or the Philadelphia 76ers and they clinch home court advantage throughout the NBA Playoffs.
This scenario comes courtesy of a tiebreaker the Pacers own over the Heat for having the better conference record and the destiny of both teams is in the hands of the Heat.
Should the Heat win, the Pacers would need to lose to the Orlando Magic in their season finale to earn the No. 1 seed.
There may only be three games between the Heat and Pacers left on the schedule, but there is still a ton of basketball left to be played.