Indiana Pacers chasing the playoffs and watching the standings as March arrives

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Indianapolis— The NBA season has 39 days left, and postseason seeding contests are heating up. Indiana Pacers are in one in the last month of the season.  

The Eastern Conference's fourth through eighth seeds are separated by a hair after March 6's outcomes. Pacers are eighth with 35-28 record. Orlando is the fourth seed with 37-26 wins-losses and faces Indiana on Sunday.   

Two games separate a team with home court advantage in the first round of the playoffs from one that will play on the road in the Play-In Tournament.  

"Having something to play for obviously gives you new life," Pacers centre Myles Turner said last month. He believes his club is locked in for the closing stretch after going 4-3 since the All-Star break.  

The Magic and the Pacers are separated by three other teams that are at different points in their seasons. The seventh-place Philadelphia 76ers have lost two straight games against weak teams.   

Their season has been ruined by injuries, and Joel Embiid is still out for the 35-27 ball club. They have a half-game lead over the Pacers and have the upper hand over the Sixers in a tie.  

The Miami Heat are in sixth place. They have won eight of their last ten games. It's a good time for them to click, and the rest of the plan is easy. If they stay healthy, the defending Eastern Conference champions have a good chance of getting a top-six spot.   

They are 35–26 and have been very solid in close games. The Pacers and Heat will play for the crown on April 7, but the head-to-head tiebreaker may not matter at that time. 

The New York Knicks are in fifth place right now, which is the same spot as the 76ers. After going 14-2 in January, the Knicks got hurt and have lost five straight games.   

OG Anunoby, Julius Randle, Jalen Brunson, and Mitchell Robinson are all hurt right now, and New York has lost 36 games in a row. New York and Indiana are now tied, but Indiana has won the head-to-head tiebreaker. 

Magic lead East's mid-tier. Despite a light schedule, they have won five straight and deserve praise for their discipline. Orlando alone has the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Pacers.  

The Pacers lead the ninth-seeded Chicago Bulls, while the Magic trail the third-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers. The season's final 20 games suggest Orlando, Miami, Indiana, New York, and Philadelphia will finish fourth through ninth.  

Details are crucial. Seeds four, five, and six are guaranteed playoff spots and will likely face a non-Boston Celtics team in the first round. The seventh and eighth seeds qualify for the Play-In Tournament.  

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