Three down, four to go. The winners of their last three contests, the Chicago Bulls are now in the ninth-place driver’s seat. According to PlayoffStatus, the Bulls are 44 percent likely to finish in ninth place in the Eastern Conference—at least 20 percent more likely than the Atlanta Hawks and Miami Heat.

However, after defeating the Charlotte Hornets 131-117 in a Sunday matinee, the Bulls are closing in on Atlanta’s eighth-seed. Chicago is 30 percent likely to finish eighth, while Atlanta sits at 39 percent. The gap is narrowing as the Bulls continue their stellar post-All-Star break run.

The Bulls versus Heat is a foregone play-in conclusion

However, even though the Bulls are 7-3 in their last 10, compared to the Hawks’ 5-5 record, it’s unlikely the two teams will swap places in the Eastern Conference pecking order over the next week. First and foremost, Chicago is one game back of Atlanta, with a date against the 62-16 Cleveland Cavaliers on Tuesday, April 8.

On the other hand, the Hawks will square off against the seventh-seeded Orlando Magic. While defeating the Magic is nowhere near a guarantee, it’s an easier matchup than the Cavaliers. Plus, Atlanta has played Orlando well over the years, winning seven of the previous 10 affairs.

Moreover, beyond Tuesday night’s slate, the Hawks will travel to Brooklyn, to take on the Nets, then Philadelphia to battle the 76ers before returning home to host the Magic for a second time within a week. Atlanta’s remaining strength of schedule is the 27th easiest in the NBA. At this juncture, defeating the tanking Nets and 76ers should be guaranteed. That leaves two toss-ups, each against the Magic. At worst, Atlanta should finish 39-43, with a 29-23 record in conference play.

Chicago’s schedule is arguably less challenging than Atlanta’s, sans the Cleveland game. The Bulls remaining opponents are the 10th-seeded Miami Heat, the Washington Wizards, and Philadelphia. If all goes according to plan, the Bulls will finish 39-43, with a 28-24 record against Eastern Conference foes.

If the aforementioned scenario ensues, the Hawks will battle the Magic, as seventh and eighth-seeds, while the Bulls will host the Heat, as the ninth and 10th-seeded squads. Fortunately for the Bulls, they’re 2-0 against the Heat this season. Both wins came post-Zach LaVine. The first was on February 4, and the second was on March 8. Both Coby White and Josh Giddey dropped upwards of 20 points.

There remains the possibility the Bulls will move into seventh or even fall to 10th. For what it’s worth, Miami has the easiest schedule remaining, with matchups against Philadelphia, Chicago, New Orleans, and Washington on the peripheral. However, Chicago owns the head-to-head and conference record tiebreaker over Miami. Thus, the Heat must win out, with the Bulls only winning two of their last four games, to regain the ninth seed.