The Boston Celtics have been playing well all season, and they have gotten even better over the past few weeks with the return of Jayson Tatum to the lineup. They are currently the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference, and they have an opportunity to climb to No. 1 with the latest news of Cade Cunningham suffering from a bad lung.
The Detroit Pistons have been on top of the Eastern Conference all season, and Cunningham has been the engine of their success. It is uncertain how long he will be sidelined, but it could be three weeks or even six weeks. Any deadline would be after the regular season, meaning the Pistons may struggle without their star player.
The Celtics, on the other hand, have everything they need, and they are ready to make a run.
It won't be all easy for the Celtics, as they have the league's seventh-toughest schedule remaining. They still have matchups with the Oklahoma City Thunder and New York Knicks, and two matchups with the Atlanta Hawks, who are currently on an 11-game winning streak. The Celtics can beat these teams, but they'll have to work for it.
Additionally, if the Celtics have the same record as the Pistons at the end of the season, they will still be the No. 2 seed because they do not have a tiebreaker. That means if the Celtics want to capture the No. 1 seed, they'll have to stay ahead by a few games.
The Pistons are left with the 15th toughest schedule in the league, and that's probably good news for them as they try to move forward without their star player.
It will be interesting to see if the Celtics can make a move with a few weeks left in the regular season, but there's no doubt it can be done.
