The Miami Heat already clinched the Southeast Division and are leading their conference by a huge margin. However, their story of domination isn't being reproduced elsewhere in basketball. Let's look at the NBA standings, postseason pictures and teams in the hunt for division titles as we are now a exactly a month away from the beginning of the NBA 2013 Playoffs.
Currently, the team with the most secure lead in other NBA divisions outside of the Southeast are the Los Angeles Clippers who hold a 7.5-game lead over the second place and sixth place in the conference, Golden State Warriors. With roughly around 15 games left, the Clippers have to win just half of their games to clinch the Pacific Division that once belonged to the Los Angeles Lakers.
Excluding the Heat and Clippers, everybody else is in an active battle for their respective divisions.
East- Atlantic Division: New York Knicks
They are in first place today, but tomorrow, you never know who's going to top the Knicks. They own a one game lead over the second place Brooklyn Nets as the Boston Celtics are chasing and just 3.5 games behind of the Knicks.
New York is banged up and after a solid start to their season, they have struggled to win in recent weeks. They salvaged a five-game road trip by defeating the Utah Jazz after dropping four consecutive games.
Central Division: Indiana Pacers
Their lead is slightly more secure than the Knicks' as the Pacers hold a five-game lead over the Chicago Bulls and a seven-game lead over the Milwaukee Bucks. The Pacers were struggling, but they managed to pull it together winning two consecutive games.
WEST- Northwest Division Oklahoma City Thunder
The Thunder dropped their matchup to the Denver Nuggets on Tuesday and it so happens that these are the same guys chasing after them in the division. The Nuggets trail the Thunder just 3.5 games in the standings. The Thunder had been rolling before the loss and they still possess a decent record winning 8 of 10, but the Nuggets mean business as they are on a 13-game win streak.
Southwest: San Antonio Spurs
The Spurs are still winning despite their age. It's about the quality of the player. I think the league has learned that over the years. The Memphis Grizzlies are fighters and they have a great team, but they are 5.5 games behind the Spurs. With the season dwindling, it seems like the Spurs will have enough to close out the season on top.
Just so you can see the standings yourself, here they are.
