Let's be real, non of this really matters.
Win or lose for rest of a way, including this game will still set you on same path:
1) play for playin
2) ugly loss in first round
Other 3 teams that are in alleged "race" don't even walk, let alone run.
1) Hawks season ended with Jalen Johnson season ending injury. Within next 8 days they dumped Hunter, their third best player for next to nothing and Bogdan for even less.
Starting Rookie + guy who is de facto rookie (Gueye) is everything you need to know.
They don't have pick to tank, but they will have Lakers pick and probably Kings pick( top 12 protected). So they don't give a f*** about playoffs.
Just look how Bogdan & Hunter play to figure how much they gave up with no intentions to win. Bogdan shoots like 60% for 3 on Clippers, Hunter 14 ppg on 65% TS on Cavs.
2)
Miami Heat . Traded best player. Ever since their star players have most vague injuries possible. Kevin Love has been away from a team for a month for personal reasons, Jamie Jaquez random DNP-CDs, Terry Rozier suspended for illegal betting. Wiggins & Herro only played 14 games together. Every day Heat pulls at least one starter out because of "injury".
They are another team that starts 2 rookies. That is everything you need to know about playoff aspirations.
3)
Bulls.. If somebody put gun on my head to pick one team who has owner who wants to make playoff under any cost i would pick Bulls.
Yet even 90 y.o. owner gave up. Trade out proves it.
vs Cavs they just gave :
White- rest
Huerter- cervical strain ( neck pain ?

)
Giddey "day to day" - forearm
Vučević- day to day- calf
Tre Jones- foot injury, original injury report said 2 weeks. Third week passing by, still not playing
Lonzo- wrist, out for 3 weeks, still not shut down for regular season (?? )
Btw this was game where Bulls could have got to 8th seed by beating Cavs if Hawks lost, and what they do? They shut down everybody, start rookie, play some guy who played 17 games in 3 years and run offense through Jevon Carter

On West, play in is blessing for teams. On East, play in is burden as you can't find 8 let alone 10 teams that want to make playoffs.
Life is what happens when you're busy making other plans. -John Lennon