Nightly Playoffs Preview: Nets keep pace; Suns, Hornets suffer devastating losses

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 27: 

Eastern Conference

• The Hawks rolled the Heat, which, coupled with a Cavaliers loss, clinched Atlanta the No. 1 seed in the conference for the first time in 21 years.
• With a win over the Lakers, the Raptors locked up their second consecutive Atlantic Division crown, the first time in franchise history they've won their division in back-to-back seasons.
• The Celtics skirted catastrophe by holding on against the Knicks, maintaining their tenuous hold on the eighth spot. 

In the Mix

• The Hornets fell off the pace by dropping a heartbreaker to the Wizards in double-overtime, a loss that may end up haunting them all summer.
• The Nets came through with a huge win over the Cavs to vault past the Hornets and the idle Pacers and remain a half-game back of the Celtics for eighth.
• Shout-outs to the Pistons for staying alive thanks to a four-game winning streak, capped by Reggie Jackson's big triple-double in a rout of the Magic on Friday. It's not likely to matter in the end, but they're showing some serious fight. 

Western Conference

• It was a big night for the Rockets, who clinched a playoff spot while also moving to within a half-game of the Grizzlies for second place. Given that they're currently in line to face the Spurs in Round 1, we're guessing they've got plenty of incentive to move up. 
• About those Grizzlies: They got rocked at home for the second straight game, and are now just 9-9 in their past 18 games. They were beaten by the Warriors, who tied a franchise record for wins (59) in a season and all but wrapped up the West's No. 1 seed. 
• The Clippers clinched a playoff spot with an utter dismantling of the 76ers. It's their fourth straight trip to the postseason, the first time that's happened in franchise history. 
• The Spurs put some distance between themselves and the listless, seventh-place Mavericks with a dominant defensive performance.

In the Mix

• The Pelicans took care of business, dropping the Kings to gain a half-game on the idle Thunder. They probably still have too much ground to make up, but at least they're not dead yet.
• The same probably can't be said for the Suns, who let a winnable game slip away against the Blazers to fall further back. They made a valiant push, but the Suns' playoff hopes are effectively sunk.