NBA News: Sixers, Celtics Losses Allow Miami Heat to Clinch East's Top Seed

The Miami Heat hit a bit of a rough patch a few weeks ago. While they were the Eastern Conference's top seed facing a Joel Embiid and James Harden-less Sixers

The Miami Heat hit a bit of a rough patch a few weeks ago. While they were the Eastern Conference's top seed facing a Joel Embiid and James Harden-less Sixers team, the Heat fell short on the road.

While trailing against the Golden State Warriors during the next game, a heated moment around Miami's bench during a timeout went viral as frustrations couldn't be masked in South Beach.

After dropping two-straight games against undermanned teams, Miami then collected two more losses to the New York Knicks and the Brooklyn Nets. The Heat lost their spot as the Eastern Conference's first seed for a moment.

But it didn't take very long for them to get back on track and re-claim their spot. After losing four straight, the Heat fired off for five-straight wins. Despite having off on Thursday night, Miami was in a position to benefit from several games.

Sixers, Celtics Give Miami What They Want

The Philadelphia 76ers and the Toronto Raptors met for a matchup up North on Thursday. Meanwhile, the Boston Celtics and the Milwaukee Bucks battled it out at the Fiserv Forum. In a scenario where the Sixers and the Celtics fall short to their Thursday night opponent, the Miami Heat could clinch the Eastern Conference's top seed.

Philadelphia got off to a hot start in Toronto, but they cooled off quickly. Eventually, the Sixers came up short to the Raptors for the third time this year and collected a 119-114 loss. Not too long after the Sixers and the Raptors concluded their matchup, the Celtics fell short as well.

With a 127-121 victory for Milwaukee, the Bucks helped the Heat clinch the top seed in the Eastern Conference. Now, they are guaranteed to face one of the four teams that could clinch the eighth seed via the Play-In Tournament.

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_.