The NBA All-Star break is in the rearview, and the race to the top of the Eastern Conference is on for the Boston Celtics and Toronto Raptors.
Currently sitting at fifth in the East, moving up even a spot would be the difference of home-court advantage in the opening round.
As it stands, the Celtics are slated to match up against the Philadelphia 76ers, an undesirable matchup given the additions Philly made to its starting lineup at the NBA Trade Deadline.
If the bottom quarter of the bracket remained as it is now, they would face the Brooklyn Nets in the first round if they can leapfrog Philadelphia and the Indiana Pacers in the standings.