NBA Playoff Standings 2015: Latest Records, Postseason Scenarios and Predictions

With just two days left in the NBA regular season, there's still plenty left to be decided in terms of playoff seeding and potential matchup scenarios.

Much has been made of the wild Western Conference, with half of the eight playoff teams separate by a single game, but the East has a number of different possibilities to be determined as well.

The West's final spot is another issue yet to be settled, with the New Orleans Pelicans and Oklahoma City Thunder deadlocked at 44-37. But with the Pelicans owning the head-to-head tiebreaker, Oklahoma City will need some help to crack the conference's top eight. 

The Boston Celtics are officially in the postseason on the East side, a surprising result of Brad Stevens' great ability to corral the team's young talents into tangible results so early in their rebuild. Three teams are still fighting for the conference's final seed, which is currently held by the Indiana Pacers, with the Brooklyn Nets and Miami Heat just off pace. 

Latest Records

	Team	W	L	%	GB
1	Atlanta Hawks*	60	21	.741	-
2	Cleveland Cavaliers*	52	29	.642	8
3	Chicago Bulls*	49	32	.605	11
4	Toronto Raptors*	48	32	.600	11.5
5	Washington Wizards*	46	34	.575	13.5
6	Milwaukee Bucks*	41	40	.506	19
7	Boston Celtics*	38	42	.475	21.5
8	Indiana Pacers	37	43	.463	22.5
9	Brooklyn Nets	37	44	.457	23
10	Miami Heat	36	45	.444	24
	* = clinched playoff berth

	Team	W	L	%	GB
1	Golden State Warriors*	66	15	.815	-
2	San Antonio Spurs*	55	26	.679	11
3	Los Angeles Clippers*	55	26	.679	11
4	Portland Trail Blazers**	51	30	.630	15
5	Houston Rockets*	55	26	.679	11
6	Memphis Grizzlies*	54	27	.667	12
7	Dallas Mavericks*	49	32	.605	17
8	New Orleans Pelicans	44	37	.543	22
9	Oklahoma City Thunder	44	37	.543	22
	* = clinched playoff berth
	** = Portland clinched division, guaranteed top-four seed

Key Potential First-Round Scenarios

Portland Trail Blazers vs. Houston Rockets

If the current standings hold, the Western Conference's Nos. 4-5 series will be a rematch of last year's dramatic set between the Portland Trail Blazers and Houston Rockets. And though both teams are similarly seeded as they were a season ago, both are in very different positions.

The Blazers, despite having a strengthened reserve unit, are without Wesley Matthews throughout the postseason after the starting guard tore his Achilles last month. Arron Afflalo, who was acquired at the trade deadline to help fill the backcourt void, is also out the next couple weeks after straining his shoulder, according to The Associated Press (h/t Statesman Journal). 

This has left the starting job to C.J. McCollum, a second-year pro who has performed well off the bench. But after the 23-year-old left Monday's game with a sprained ankle, the Blazers' newfound depth may have disappeared just in time for the playoffs. 

LaMarcus Aldridge has also been fighting a bum finger, and starter Nicolas Batum was injured in Monday's loss to the Thunder, as tweeted by the Blazers' PR account. X-rays on his right knee were negative, but the team should know more soon. 

The Rockets have dealt with Patrick Beverley's absence for some weeks now and have been preparing to embark on their playoff journey without him. According to MyFoxHouston, the point guard said Monday that he could be ready for the Conference Finals if the Rockets advance that far, but that still leaves significant work to do without him. 

Bob Levey/Associated Press

The team has gone 8-3 with a starting backcourt of Jason Terry and James Harden. Harden has always been the effective "point guard" whom the offense runs through, but losing Beverley's defensive value and ability to knock down threes will be an obstacle in the postseason. 

And without Donatas Motiejunas, who will miss the entire playoffs with a back injury, Houston may need to rely on a number of reserve players—much like Portland—to pull out a series victory. 

Star power is also more critical in the postseason than ever, and in Harden—especially considering his reborn dedication to the defensive end—the Rockets should have an answer for Damian Lillard. 

Prediction: Rockets in 6 games

Toronto Raptors vs. Washington Wizards

Two teams that once appeared to be the class of the Eastern Conference will likely face off in the first round in the Nos. 4-5 matchup. 

Since the All-Star break, neither team had lived up to its sky-high, early-season hopes. The Raptors have gone 12-15, and Washington has hardly managed to maintain .500 at 13-13. But paired against each other, the two make for interesting competition over a seven-game series. 

Jason DeCrow/Associated Press

The Raps rank third in offensive efficiency behind just Golden State and the Clippers, according to NBA.com. Even through their post-All-Star-break slide, they're second in the conference in offense behind Cleveland. 

Returning most of last season's roster that took the Brooklyn Nets to seven games in the first round, Toronto has a close group with a year of playoff experience. But their primary catalyst from a year ago has had a rough go of it the last few months. 

In his 15 games since All-Star weekend, Kyle Lowry has shot just 36.8 percent and 31.1 percent from three. He's averaged 14.3 points on 12.9 shots. After averaging 35 minutes over the first half, his burn is down to 32 minutes per game, presumably due to fatigue from the first few months. 

For Washington, John Wall has slipped a bit from the field over the second half but is averaging nearly a double-double in his 24 games since Feb. 20: 18 points, 9.8 assists, 5.1 rebounds and 1.5 steals. 

Wall's backcourt sidekick, Bradley Beal, has had an underwhelming third NBA season, averaging just 15 points and battling injuries at various points throughout the campaign.

He'll need to go up against Toronto's DeMar DeRozan, who—unlike Lowry—has played great over the last month.

DeRozan's 24.3 points per game on 44.9 percent shooting, including 41.7 percent from three since Mar. 2, have been one of Toronto's only bright spots lately. It's impossible to forget the 25-year-old's inefficient shooting last postseason against the Nets, when he shot just 38.5 percent.

The Raptors feature a diverse and versatile offense, while Washington offers steep competition against Toronto's two best positions while also sporting the league's fifth-rated defense.

This one is almost too close to call, but a year after knocking off the Chicago Bulls in last year's first round, the Wizards seem poised to make a second straight run to the conference semifinals.

Prediction: Wizards in 7 games