NBA standings update: Wizards effectively 2 games ahead of Nets

Wow, that was a huge win. The Wizards trailed most of the way, but powered by John Wall and Drew Gooden, they rallied to stun the Brooklyn Nets, 101-94, and break a tie for fifth place in the conference.

But that win was extra significant for another reason. With the victory, the Wizards have now won all three games against the Nets this season, so they have clinched the tiebreaker should these teams end up deadlocked at the end of the year. Effectively, they are now two games ahead of the Nets, not just one. The Wizards had already clinched the head-to-head tiebreaker advantage against the Bulls by virtue of two wins earlier in the year, so this is a major advantage as we go down the stretch. (They did lose the tiebreaker against Toronto, unfortunately, and they have split two games with the Bobcats).

For now, here is where the East stands:

1. Indiana: 49-17
2. Miami: 44-19 (3.5 GB of Pacers)
3. Toronto: 37-27
4. Chicago: 37-29 (1 GB of Raptors)
5. WASHINGTON: 35-31 (2 GB of Bulls)
6. Brooklyn: 33-31 (1 GB of Wizards)
7. Charlotte: 32-34 (3 GB of Wizards)
8. Atlanta: 29-35
9. New York: 27-40 (3.5 GB of Atlanta)
10. Cleveland: 26-40 (4 GB of Atlanta)

Remember: the lead against Brooklyn is effectively a two-game advantage, and the deficit against Chicago really is a two-game deficit.