Truckload of teams will fight it out for East's final playoff spot

The Bulls and former coach Scott Skiles battling for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference would be an irresistible story line if this was April 15, the last day of the regular season.

But it's March 6 and even if the Bulls move into the eighth spot in the East by beating Skiles and the Milwaukee Bucks at the United Center today, they still have 19 games remaining and several teams right on their tail. In fact, they'll follow this contest with a tough road trip next week, visiting Miami, Orlando and Philadelphia. So a win tonight might mean little a week from now.

Those facts didn't deter center Joakim Noah from pumping up this game following Thursday's very light practice at the Berto Center.

"It's our biggest game because it's our next game," he said. "There's also that history with coach Skiles. It's a big game. I think we're excited about it, the people of Chicago are excited about it and it's going to be cool."

Most every game means something now for the Bulls, since 12 of their last 20 are against the teams that rank from fifth to 13th place in the East.

"Especially coming from Sacramento, we weren't playing for much a long time ago," newcomer John Salmons said. "For every game to be important like it is now is definitely exciting."

Forward Luol Deng (right tibia contusion) won't play tonight, while Tim Thomas (left knee strain) said he plans to give it a shot. Tyrus Thomas also sat out practice with a right hip strain after an awkward fall in Wednesday's win over Golden State, but he's expected to face the Bucks.

Since this is more than a two-team race, here's a quick look at the Bulls' competition for a playoff spot, along with a schedule breakdown. For purposes of this article, games against the NBA's elite teams will include the current top 8 in the West and top 4 in the East. The Bulls are also just 31/2 games behind sixth-place Detroit, but first things first:

Bulls (28-34): home: 12, road: 8, elite: 3.

Chances: Definitely have the easiest remaining schedule, but season-long inconsistency makes them a shaky pick.

Milwaukee (29-35): home: 11, road: 7, elite: 8.

Chances: Skiles has done a nice job of getting the most out of this crew, but he probably won't be able to overcome the loss of both Michael Redd (knee) and center Andrew Bogut (back). Bucks have lost six of eight.

New Jersey (27-34): home: 9, road: 12, elite: 8.

Chances: The Nets still have explosive potential with guards Devin Harris and Vince Carter, but they are just 8-15 since Jan. 14 and probably have the toughest schedule of these six teams.

Charlotte (26-35): home: 9, road: 12, elite: 6.

Chances: Coach Larry Brown knows what he's doing and the Bobcats gained some playoff experience by adding ex-Suns Raja Bell and Boris Diaw. They play six of eight April games on the road, however.

Indiana (27-37): home: 11, road: 7, elite: 7.

Chances: This might be the team to watch. The Pacers have been nearly unbeatable at home, going 13-2 since Jan. 1, and are doing better on the road, with a 2-point loss at Portland on Wednesday. Indiana finished strong last season with a similar group of players and would have beaten Atlanta for the No. 8 spot if not for a late home loss to the Bobcats.

New York (25-35): home: 9, road 12, elite: 7.

Chances: The Knicks making the playoffs would be one of the NBA's stranger occurrences in recent years. They probably have too many tough road games left to make a run, though, considering their 7-21 record away from MSG.

<div class="infoBox"> <h1>More Coverage</h1> <div class="infoBoxContent"> <div class="infoArea"> <h2>Stories</h2> <ul class="links"> <li><a href="/story/?id=277150">Crawford reflects on days with Bulls <span class="date"> [3/6/09]</span></a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </div>