Nightly Playoffs Preview: Bucks deny Pacers 8th place

Every night from now through April 15, the end of the NBA regular season, theScore will bring you potential playoff matchups - and teams still in the mix to qualify - based on the final nightly standings.

Here's where things stand after March 26: 

Eastern Conference

• The Bucks won their second game in a row, defeating the Pacers in the only game of the night. Ersan Ilyasova dropped a career-high 34 points to power Milwaukee to a win.
• With the victory, the Bucks remain firmly entrenched at sixth, four games behind the Wizards and 2.5 games up on the Celtics.
• On Friday, the Heat take on the Hawks in a potential 1 vs. 8 match-up, while the reeling Raptors get an easy opponent in the Lakers.

In the Mix

• The Pacers had a chance to move into eighth with a win, but instead sit in a three-way tie for ninth.
• Tomorrow, the Celtics have a chance to maintain their lead on eighth, as they take on the league-worst Knicks.
• The Nets, meanwhile, will be hard-pressed to keep pace, as they face the Cavaliers tomorrow.

Western Conference

• The Rockets have an easy opponent in the banged-up Timberwolves tomorrow, but the bigger concern is the health of point guard Patrick Beverley.
• Tomorrow, the Grizzlies play host to the Warriors in what could be a Western Conference Finals match-up.
• Similarly, Spurs-Mavericks should be a lot of fun. The two teams played on Tuesday, with the Mavericks coming out on top.
• The late game tomorrow calls for the Trail Blazers up against the upstart Suns in what projects to be a high-scoring affair.

In the Mix

• The Pelicans are rapidly fading out of the playoff race and will face a resilient Kings team tomorrow. A loss for the Pelicans would push them to four games back of eighth.