Sunday’s significant movement in the Eastern Conference came in the middle of the standings.
The Knicks remained within one game of the Celtics with their home win over the Warriors.
Toronto knocked off Detroit to inch a half-game ahead of the Heat for the last spot in the top six.
Miami and Toronto play each other twice in the final week of the regular season, and with the way things are playing out in the East, those two contests will have massive implications on seeding.
Philadelphia gained ground on Miami with an unexpected win over Portland without Tyrese Maxey, Joel Embiid and Paul George.
The Sixers are still 1.5 games off the Raptors for the No. 6 seed. They aren’t expected to win in Denver on Tuesday, but should beat Sacramento and Utah on the rest of its road swing in the coming week.
Charlotte has an important week ahead in its attempt to jump out of the No. 10 seed. It hosts Miami and Orlando on Tuesday and Thursday.
The Magic and the Hawks play the first big game in the East this week on Monday night in Atlanta. An Orlando win could set the stage for Charlotte to make a charge closer to the No. 9 seed by the end of the week.
