Players aren't typically so open about their standings ambitions.

That's because the positioning can be perceived as trying to face, or avoid, a particular team in the playoffs.

The Heat, however, has made no secret of its desire to track down the Celtics and take the No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference. One player was able to name the Celtics' schedule for the next three weeks, on cue.

Now, one day before the Heat's important Thursday game against Charlotte, Miami is tied with Boston, though the Celtics would secure the seed due to head-to-head tiebreaker. Miami can't fix that, down 2-0 in the season series, with one game remaining -- the final game of the NBA season.

So how do the schedules compare?

Each team is 39-28, with 15 games remaining.

Each has seven home, and eight road, games left.

Miami has six games against teams currently in the playoffs: Charlotte, Cleveland, San Antonio, Portland, Chicago, Boston. The Heat also has two games against Detroit, which is battling Chicago for the last spot in the East, and has already beaten the Heat twice.

Boston faces eight teams currently in the playoffs: Oklahoma City, Toronto, Toronto, L.A. Clippers, Portland, Golden State, Atlanta and Miami.

The Celtics are also without Jae Crowder for at least another week.

So the opportunity is clearly there.

What would it mean?

Unless Cleveland collapses down the stretch, it would mean getting in the Raptors' bracket, and potentially avoiding the Cavaliers until the Eastern Conference finals.