5. Dallas Mavericks (5): The Mavericks had a chance to secure the second seed in the West at home against the Lakers but were unable to do so. The streaking Lakers now have a chance to surpass Dallas in the standings, which would mean the Mavericks would visit Los Angeles for Game 1 in the Western Conference Semi-Finals.
4. Boston Celtics (2): The Celtics are sitting atop the Eastern Conference and appear to be in great shape heading into the playoffs. However, it is still to be determined whether or not the trade for Jeff Green and Nenad Kristic will pan out for Boston when it counts.
3. San Antonio Spurs (4): After suffering an embarrassing loss to the Los Angeles Lakers the Spurs rattled off three straight wins and have all but guaranteed themselves the top seed in the Western Conference heading into the playoffs.
2. Los Angeles Lakers (1): The Lakers are still red-hot since the All-Star Game, and have gone 9-1 since the break. However, their one loss was to a reeling Miami Heat team on Thursday. The Lakers rebounded well on Saturday night, though, and defeated the Dallas Mavericks to pull Los Angeles within a half game of the Mavericks for the second seed in the Western Conference.
1. Chicago Bulls (3): The Bulls might be the best team in the league that nobody’s talking about. They’re the only team in the league that’s hotter than the Lakers, and have won nine out of 10 since the All-Star break. There is also a good chance that PG Derrick Rose will win his first league MVP award as the Bulls battle Boston for the top seed in the East.
