Until quite recently, the Pacers, Pistons and Nets were in a three-way race for the top seed in the Eastern Conference, while the Sixers and Hornets were barely in the postseason picture.

However, there have been developments.

Most notably, Philly has won 14 of 16 while Indy has dropped 13 of 15. Detroit lost seven consecutive games while New Orleans won eight straight. And after fast starts, New Jersey and Boston are playing .500 ball. The result? Six teams in the East within four and half games of one another, and a race for first that will come down to the final matchups of the year. Take a look at these teams and the prognosis for the remainder of their seasons.

All records and stats through games of March 17.

DETROIT PISTONS

RECORDS BY MONTH
TEAM
NOV
DEC
JAN
FEB
MAR
TOTAL
1. Detroit
12-5
8-5
10-5
7-6
4-3
41-24
2. New Jersey
11-6
12-3
9-5
6-7
2-5
40-26
3. Philadelphia
14-4
5-8
6-10
8-2
6-2
39-26
4. Indiana
13-2
10-6
10-6
5-7
1-7
39-28
5. Boston
10-5
9-7
7-8
7-5
5-3
38-28
6. New Orleans
11-5
7-10
6-8
9-4
5-3
38-30
The Pistons recently suffered through their worst losing streak since December 2001 -- a seven-game skid between Feb. 21 and March 2 -- yet they remain in terrific shape for coming out of the East with the No. 1 seed.

For one thing, six of those losses came on the road against West squads, so they didn't hurt their conference record or any possible tiebreakers. For another, they continue to maintain the league's stingiest defense in terms of points allowed (86.4 ppg), the key to their success all year. And for still another, while Detroit was losing, New Jersey and Indiana were too, so the Pistons emerge from their slump to find themselves with a slight lead in the standings and the top spot theirs to lose.

While defense and Ben Wallace's rebounding excellence have been constants, the Pistons have occasionally had trouble putting points on the board. They scored 107 and 111 in consecutive games last week (victories over the Warriors and Lakers), but came back with just 71 against Boston on Saturday. Chauncey Billups has sizzled of late, averaging 26.1 ppg in March, but the team will need more balance down the stretch offensively, particularly from Richard Hamilton and Cliff Robinson.

In large part, Detroit controls its fate. With 17 games remaining, the Pistons play Philadelphia twice, Indiana, New Orleans and Boston. Their season series against New Jersey is complete, with Detroit owning the tiebreaker.


NEW JERSEY NETS

Philadelphia is closing fast and owns the tiebreaker with New Jersey, and while it may be a mistake to bet against Jason Kidd and the defending East champs, over the past six weeks the Nets have been a below-average team. Like the Pistons, they were overmatched against Western Conference teams, but their 8-13 record since Feb. 1 has also included losses to Philadelphia (twice), Orlando (twice), Washington, Memphis and Cleveland.

Aside from their generally inconsistent play, there is the fact that center Dikembe Mutombo is due back within two weeks, after sitting out most of the season with a wrist injury. Certainly there will be period of adjustment for the team as Mutombo works his way into the rotation -- not necessarily a good thing as the Nets fight for playoff positioning -- and the perimeter players will need to maintain their focus defensively, rather than relying on Mutombo's interior presence to bail them out if they get beat.

The good news is that the Nets have a very favorable schedule to close out the season. Games against Boston and Indiana, plus two versus New Orleans, will enable them to help their own cause, but they also have 11 must-win matchups with sub-.500 teams.



Allen Iverson has led the Sixers to third place and rising in the East.
Jesse Garrabrant/NBAE/Getty Images
PHILADELPHIA 76ERS

The Sixers are steamrolling up the Eastern Conference standings and now rank third, just two games back of Detroit for the No. 1 seed. Philly has won 14 of its last 16 games -- the two losses were to the Kings and Lakers on the road -- and though, as always, Allen Iverson carries the scoring load, he's getting more consistent help from both Keith Van Horn and Eric Snow. Derrick Coleman, too, has stepped up, averaging 11.1 ppg and 9.1 rpg since Feb. 1 (compared to 9.2 ppg and 6.8 rpg on the year).

Of primary importance on the docket are Philadelphia's two remaining games against Detroit -- the teams have split a pair so far this year -- which will be huge both in terms of positioning and statement. The Sixers also play both Indiana and Boston on the road and face New Orleans at home.


INDIANA PACERS

For much of the season, the Pacers were the top team in the East, and through the end of January were 19 games over .500. However, beginning with the weekend following the All-Star break, Indiana has been in a horrific freefall that has dropped the team to fourth place and the precipice of losing home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs. Just 2-13 over their last 15 games, the Pacers would plunge to fifth behind Boston with a loss to the Celtics on Wednesday.

Considering that Indiana has the deepest roster in the East -- including All-Stars Jermaine O'Neal and Brad Miller -- the mounting losses have been a surprise, but it also means that this team can't be overlooked come playoff time, no matter their seeding. And with games remaining against Boston, Philadelphia, Detroit and New Jersey, they could as easily rise to first as fall to sixth.


BOSTON CELTICS

Lurking in the No. 5 spot, just 3 1/2 games out of first place, the Celtics and their erratic play make them a tough team to call. Against stiff competition just this past week, Boston lost to San Antonio by 16 points, beat New Orleans by 18, lost to New Jersey by 15, then beat Detroit by 10. Paul Pierce and Antoine Walker continue to carry the Celtics, though J.R. Bremer has been a pleasant surprise, averaging 14.6 ppg in March.

Boston, too, has a game each remaining against Indiana, Detroit, Philadelphia and New Jersey, but they also have to face the Lakers and Kings. A home-and-home with the Wizards during the second week of April may turn out to be of vital importance as well, with Michael Jordan looking to solidify a berth for his team in the postseason.


NEW ORLEANS HORNETS

Perhaps unexpectedly, the Hornets are in the mix as well, only 4 1/2 games behind Detroit. Their chances of making the postseason at all appeared in jeopardy when Baron Davis went down with an injury last month, but New Orleans promptly won eight games in a row -- including a big two-point victory at Detroit -- behind the MVP-caliber play of Jamal Mashburn.

Now with Davis back in the starting lineup, the Hornets are looking at a schedule that becomes a roller coaster at the end of March; they'll play San Antonio, Dallas and New Jersey in succession, then a home-and-home with Cleveland before Detroit, Philadelphia and New Jersey. The opportunity will certainly be there for the Hornets to make a major move, but it's a tough road, and come playoff time, their most likely seeding will be right where they are.