NBA playoff standings: Knicks move ahead of Pacers, Celtics gain on Hawks

The New York Knicks regained second place in the Eastern Conference standings with their 111-102 win over the Charlotte Bobcats. The win moved the Knicks percentage points ahead of the Indiana Pacers as the two teams continue jockeying for home court advantage in the playoffs.

The Knicks have played two fewer games than the Pacers at this point but neither team has been able to carve out a lead in the standings. The Knicks have won seven-consecutive games while the Pacers will try to win their fourth straight on Saturday night in Phoenix.

The Pacers currently hold the tiebreaker with a 2-1 record in the season series, but the two teams have one more game in New York on April 14. Should the Knicks tie the season series they could earn the tiebreaker by virtue of a better conference record. The Pacers play five current playoff teams in their remaining nine games, while the Knicks play eight playoff teams in their last 11 games.

In the race for sixth place in the standings, the Boston Celtics made up some ground on the Atlanta Hawks by beating the Hawks on Friday night. The win moved the Celtics within a game and a half of the Hawks for sixth place and within two games of the Chicago Bulls for fifth place.

Here is a look at the full Eastern Conference standings.

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