The NBA Playoffs standings and series matchups are nearly set for the 2014 postseason in the east and west and the final records for the season will be set Wednesday and Indiana Pacers and San Antonio Spurs have already clinched the number one spots in each conference, while teams like the Miami Heat, Oklahoma City Thunder, Houston Rockets, Los Angeles Clippers and Chicago Bulls are looking to make some noise as the top half teams.
The Pacers wanted the top seed since last season when they felt that they could have beaten the Heat had the final two games not been in Miami and now they will have home court advantage in the playoffs this season. Indiana clinched the number one seed this week and now they will play against the Atlanta Hawks after they made it into the playoffs at the eighth spot. Indiana has been slumping during the second half of the season and while they have turned it on over their past few games, they need to show that they are ready to make a championship run.
Miami has been resting players and Dwyane Wade has been injured all year, but he could be getting healthy at the right time and that would be huge for the Heat. The Pacers went 35-6 at home this season and they were just 20-20 on the road and now they have the chance to put all that behind them in the playoffs. Miami is the second seed and they will play against the Charlotte Bobcats and while that won't be a tough series, it could give Miami some extra work heading into the second round. No one thinks that anyone but Miami and Indiana will be left at the end of things, but the Toronto Raptors, Brooklyn Nets and Chicago Bulls could make some noise.
The Nets beat the Heat all four times they played this season and that could give them a mental edge over Miami, but the age of Brooklyn has started to show and if they matchup, the Heat would likely win. The Chicago Bulls and Nets could matchup in the playoffs again, while the Washington Wizards are back into the postseason for the first time in four years.
The San Antonio Spurs are the number one team in the league in the west and they are coming in ahead of the Oklahoma City Thunder and the LA Clippers. The Houston Rockets have been very impressive this season and they are going to be a tough matchup and the Spurs will play the loser of the Memphis Grizzlies and Dallas Mavericks game, while the winner will play the Thunder in the seventh spot.
