The Eastern Conference has a tight playoff race and with the last day of the regular season less than two weeks away; this closing stretch is important for The Cavaliers.

Many fans think that the Eastern Conference has two powerhouse favorites at the top: the Celtics and Bucks. Outside of those first two spots in the standings, the rest of the conference seems to be in a very competitive race for the 3-7 seeds. This race has been tight for several reasons, including new acquisitions through trades, injuries and up and coming teams breaking through this year.

The Cavaliers have seven games left to play before their season comes to an end with building and maintaining momentum heading into the postseason being a must. The squad hasn’t been playing their best basketball as of late, losing six of their last ten games. Some of those losses have the possibility of haunting Cleveland when it comes to Eastern Conference playoff seeding and matchups. Losing to teams like the Heat (2x) and Pacers who are both three and a half games behind Cleveland can come into play as the Cavaliers look to earn the home-court advantage for the postseason.

One thing that the Cavaliers will need throughout these last seven games is to get their star-studded backcourt duo back clicking on all cylinders. Donovan Mitchell has struggled recently, \ trying to get his rhythm back after returning from an injury just a few games ago. The up and down play of Darius Garland has contributed to the Cavaliers struggles as well. According to basketball-reference.com, Darius Garland has shot under 40% from the field six out of the last 10 games. In two of those games, he scored under ten points. The Cavaliers will need Garland to come alive as the season comes to a close.

Cleveland sits at third in the Eastern Conference with their 45-30 record and the Knicks and Orlando Magic are within one game of the Cavaliers’ third spot. Despite their injuries, the Knicks have been playing good basketball, which has allowed them to stay afloat in the standings. They’ve won seven of their last ten games as they await the returns of Julius Randle and new acquisition OG Anunoby. Although experience may not be in their favor, they’re not a team to look down upon.

The Cavaliers have minimal room for losses at this point of the season, they have to take advantage of matchups like the Hornets, Grizzlies and Jazz. One up and coming important matchup for Cleveland is the Pacers, who are only two and a half games behind the Cavaliers.

One player to possibly watch out for over this last stretch is the new addition of Marcus Morris. Many people felt like the Cavaliers lacked toughness and experience last season and Morris is capable of bringing both of those attributes to this Cavalier team. He’s already scored double-digit points multiple times including his debut where he knocked down four three-pointers.

Cleveland will have to lock in down the closing stretch of the season, with eyes on postseason potential.