NBA Playoffs 2015: Latest Standings, Postseason Picture Before Last Games

Heading into the final day of the regular season, there are still four teams competing for the final two playoff spots. The No. 3 and No. 4 spots in the Eastern Conference are still up for grabs as well. In the West, the second, third, fifth and sixth seeds could also change.

All things considered, it could be an entertaining hump day in the NBA. Here's a look at the updated standings after Tuesday night's games:

Western Conference
Seed	Team	W	L	GB
Pos.	Team	W	L
Eastern Conference
Seed	Team	W	L	GB
Pos.	Team	W	L
1	Golden State Warriors*	66	15	-
2	Los Angeles Clippers	56	26	10.5
3	San Antonio Spurs	55	26	11
4	Portland Trail Blazers*	51	30	15
5	Houston Rockets*	55	26	11
6	Memphis Grizzlies*	54	27	12
7	Dallas Mavericks*	49	32	17
8	New Orleans Pelicans	44	37	22
In the Hunt
9	Oklahoma City Thunder	44	37	22
1	Atlanta Hawks*	60	21	-
2	Cleveland Cavaliers*	42	29	8
3	Chicago Bulls*	49	32	11
4	Toronto Raptors*	48	33	12
5	Washington Wizards*	46	35	14
6	Milwaukee Bucks*	41	40	19
7	Boston Celtics*	39	42	21
8	Indiana Pacers	38	43	22
In the Hunt
9	Brooklyn Nets	37	44	23

The Battle for the Eighth Seeds

Michael Conroy/Associated Press

The concept is simple for the Indiana Pacers and the New Orleans Pelicans. If they win on Wednesday night, they are in the playoffs. However, winning on Wednesday is going to be much easier said than done for both teams.

Indiana has to face the Memphis Grizzlies on the road, and the Grizzlies are still battling for playoff positioning themselves.

Likewise, the Pelicans must defeat the red-hot defending NBA champion San Antonio Spurs. New Orleans is at home, but the Spurs are clicking and have won 11 in a row. Both the Pacers and Pelicans can still make the postseason if they lose, but they will need help.

Indy needs the Brooklyn Nets to lose at home against the Orlando Magic, and New Orleans needs the Oklahoma City Thunder to fall to the Minnesota Timberwolves on the road.

Indy and New Orleans own the tiebreakers. The Pelicans deserve the spot more, but something in me wants to see Stephen Curry vs. Russell Westbrook for at least four games.

The East's Three Spot

If the Chicago Bulls beat the Atlanta Hawks at home on Wednesday night, they will clinch the third spot in the Eastern Conference and a first-round series with the Milwaukee Bucks.

If the Bulls lose and the Toronto Raptors win at home against the Charlotte Hornets, Chicago would fall to the fourth seed and face the Washington Wizards in the first round. If Bulls' radio announcer Chuck Swirsky is right, Chicago may need to win to hold off the Raptors, who own the tiebreaker.

Charlotte has been playing without Al Jefferson and others, but we've seen short-handed teams pull off upsets before. Can this Hornets team be the one to present the Bulls with a potentially less favorable matchup?

While Chicago and Milwaukee are in closer proximity, the Bulls and the Wizards have built up quite the rivalry over the last few years. Most basketball fans would probably prefer to see that matchup. John Wall vs. Derrick Rose for an entire series would be entertaining. 

Middle Seeds in the West

Danny Moloshok/Associated Press

With Tuesday night's win over the Phoenix Suns, the streaking Los Angeles Clippers can't finish any lower than the third seed. Their regular season is done, and now they're just watching and waiting for the playoffs.

If the Spurs beat the Pelicans, the defending champions would get the second seed. The Portland Trail Blazers are locked in the fourth seed. If Memphis beats the Pacers and the Houston Rockets lose at home to the Utah Jazz, the Grizzlies would get the fifth spot and the Rockets would get the sixth. The records would be tied, but the Grizzlies own the tiebreaker over the Rockets.

In any other scenario, the spots would be flipped. This is as wide open as an NBA postseason has been in a while. It should make for some entertaining basketball.

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