The Boston Celtics entered Friday's action positioned in the seventh seed in the Eastern Conference. With four games remaining in the 2014-15 regular season, Boston remains in control of its playoff opportunity. A rundown of where things stand in the battle for the final postseason berths in the East:

The Standings

ESPN

Remaining schedules

Milwaukee: @NYK, BKN, @PHI, BOS

Boston: @CLE, CLE, TOR, @MIL

Brooklyn: WAS, @MIL, CHI, ORL

Indiana: @DET, OKC, WAS, @MEM

Miami: TOR, ORL, @PHI

Charlotte: @ATL, @DET, HOU, @TOR

Tonight's games

Boston at Cleveland, 7:30 p.m.

Charlotte at Atlanta, 7:30 p.m.

Washington at Brooklyn, 7:30 p.m.

Indiana at Detroit, 7:30 p.m.

Milwaukee at New York, 7:30 p.m.

• The Celtics open a home-and-home series in Cleveland with hopes that the Cavaliers will rest bodies (more on that below). Atlanta could end Charlotte’s already slim playoff hopes. The Wizards should have some motivation against Brooklyn while jockeying with Chicago and Toronto at the top of the East playoff ladder. Indiana visits the Detroit team that temporarily gave Boston some headaches before Isaiah Thomas took over on Wednesday night. Milwaukee can take a step closer to securing the No. 6 seed when they visit the Knicks.

Tiebreakers

• Milwaukee owns the head-to-head tiebreaker over Boston (leads season series, 2-0, with one game to play)

• Boston owns the head-to-head tiebreaker over Brooklyn (won season series, 3-1)

• Miami owns the head-to-head tiebreaker over Boston (won season series, 3-1)

• Boston owns the head-to-head tiebreaker over Indiana (won season series, 3-1)

• Boston and Charlotte split the head-to-head series (2-2); the next tiebreaker is conference record (Boston is currently 24-24; Charlotte is 25-24)

What are the odds?

• Hollinger's playoff odds

• Basketball Reference

• CelticsBlog: Boston's playoff percentages

Outlook

The Celtics got some help with Chicago erasing a 19-point halftime deficit and beating the Heat on Thursday night. Miami is the only team with a tie-breaker advantage over Boston that poses a real threat to keep the Celtics out of the playoffs. If the Heat fade, then Boston has the tiebreaking advantages over Brooklyn and Indiana in the event that a two- or three-team tiebreaker is necessary (Charlotte could also be a problem for Boston, but might be too far back to force the issue).

The Celtics have a seemingly daunting home-and-home looming with the Cavaliers, but Cleveland wrapped up the No. 2 seed in the East on Wednesday night and could begin resting bodies. ESPN's Brian Windhorst reported Wednesday that the Cavaliers have considered resting LeBron James the next two games.

Unless Cleveland rests all of its stars, there's still enough talent to challenge Boston (need we remind you of the 110-79 thumping in Boston's visit last month?). But if the Cavaliers elect to employ "strategic rest" then they could essentially be selecting their first-round opponent, with Boston likely to land the seventh seed if it keeps pace with the Nets (and fends off any other charges).

Boston fans should avoid daydreams of the sixth seed. Milwaukee's schedule -- with games against the lottery-bound Knicks and 76ers -- practically ensures the Bucks will land the No. 6 seed. In fact, Boston would likely prefer that season finale in Milwaukee means nothing to the hosts because it could very well be a must-win game for Boston to ensure a spot in the postseason.