Sue Ogrocki/Associated Press

With fewer than 15 games left in the NBA season, the race for the final spot in the Eastern Conference playoffs remains wide open.

The Celtics are the incumbent, but they lead Charlotte by just half a game, Indiana by only a game and they are just one-and-a-half games ahead of Brooklyn.

However, a closer examination shows why Boston will be able to hold off its competition and reach the postseason for the first time under head coach Brad Stevens.

Let's start with the fact that the Celtics are the only one of those four teams playing above .500 in their last 10 games. The Pacers have dropped their last six games, the Hornets are just 2-6 in their last eight games and the Nets are 4-6 in their last 10.

Furthermore, according to basketball-reference.com's simple rating system, which takes into account average point differential and strength of schedule, the Pacers are the only one of the true contenders for the eighth seed that rates higher than Boston.

Playing on the second night of a back-to-back, the Celtics earned a tiebreaker over the Pacers by defeating them in their own building. It was the loss that started the Pacers' losing streak.

Speaking of tiebreakers, Boston's win in Brooklyn on Monday night not only vaulted the green and white back into the playoffs, but it also clinched the season series and another tiebreaker.

Combine all of these factors with the fact that Boston, which has won eight of its last 12 games, is currently playing its best basketball of the season, and it is clear the Celtics are poised to make the playoffs.

But while one eye remains on who is behind them in the standings, the other is focused on the teams in front of them. The kids from Causeway Street are just two-and-a-half games back of Miami for the seventh seed and three games behind the sixth-place Bucks.

How high can Boston climb? Well, it just so happens that the Celtics' next opponent is the Heat. As ESPN's Chris Forsberg is reporting, the game may also mark the return of Isaiah Thomas. Since being acquired at the trade deadline, Thomas leads the team in scoring, averaging 21.4 points per contest.

For IT2, there is an added incentive to make his return against the Heat. It was Dwyane Wade who sidelined Thomas by delivering a hard hit while the diminutive guard was in mid-air.

If Boston can take care of business at home, it would be just one-and-a-half games back of Miami. With Milwaukee's six-game losing streak and overall struggles since transitioning from Brandon Knight to Michael Carter-Williams, the Celtics would have a real shot at moving all the way up to the sixth seed.

However, even if the Bucks do slide back in the standings, or have a complete collapse and fall all the way out of the playoffs, it would still be more likely that Miami moves up to sixth place. This seems likely when looking at how well Wade is playing of late, which includes averaging over 25 points per game in the month of March.

The prospect of ending up with the seventh seed is not a palatable one for Boston. This would presumably mean matching up with LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers, a team the Celtics have yet to beat this season.

Aaron Gash/Associated Press

While Boston may lack the star power to be considered a title contender, there are valuable lessons this team can learn simply by experiencing the playoffs, even if its stay is brief.

Having such a young team gain an understanding of what it takes to prepare physically and mentally for the playoffs is inestimable.

It is also a better opportunity to learn what makes a team at the top of the conference successful than the regular season is, when teams at the top of the food chain rest players and don't play with the same hunger that they do in the postseason.

Given that the Celtics share similar principles as the Hawks, such as an offense predicated on constant motion, it makes the most sense for Boston to do what it can to stay in eighth place and learn as much as possible from a team it is trying to emulate.