NBA schedule draws to a close

The final weekend of the NBA's regular season brings with it a bit of intrigue, as teams jockey for the last few playoff berths and advantageous seedings.

Among Saturday's games is at least a couple with playoff implications. In New Jersey, the Southeast Division champion Orlando Magic, still with a chance to move past the Boston Celtics and earn the two seed in the Eastern Conference playoff bracket, take on the Nets (7:30 pm Eastern). And in Chicago, the seventh-place Bulls will try to clinch a playoff berth with a win over Larry Brown's improved Charlotte Bobcats (8:30 pm Eastern).

Through Wednesday's play, Orlando sat in third place in the East, just one game back of second-place Boston. And all four of the Magic's remaining regular-season games will be played against sub-.500 teams. Meanwhile, the Celtics will host the playoff-bound Miami Heat on Friday, then visit the best team in the league, the Cleveland Cavaliers, Sunday (3:30 pm Eastern, ABC). Boston then must play at playoff-bound Philadelphia on Tuesday before hosting the Washington Wizards on Wednesday.

After losing at Houston on Tuesday 93-83, Orlando beat Memphis on Wednesday 81-78. But in scoring just 88, 83, and 81 points over their last three games, the Magic have played three unders in a row. And Saturday's game will be the second of back-to-back outings for Orlando, which hosts New York on Friday night (8 pm Eastern, ESPN2). And these late-season back-to-backs have had Magic coach Stan Van Gundy squawking.

Orlando has already taken two games from the Nets this season, by scores of 105-102 and 101-84.

New Jersey was eliminated from playoff contention with its 106-104 loss in Boston on Wednesday night.

Going into Thursday night's game vs. Philadelphia (8 pm Eastern, TNT), the Bulls needed one win or one Charlotte loss to clinch one of the two remaining Eastern Conference playoff slots. And Chicago has been playing some good ball, extending a recent run to nine wins in 12 games with a 110-103 victory over New York on Tuesday. Meanwhile, the Bobcats had recently won 12 of 17 games, but a three-game losing streak last week dampened their playoff chances. Still, after beating Philadelphia 101-98 on Tuesday, Charlotte had hope, albeit slim.

And the Bobcats have already taken both games they've played vs. the Bulls this season, by scores of 96-80 and 110-101 in overtime.

But Charlotte's last four games, beginning Friday night in Oklahoma City, are all on the road. After playing in Chicago on Saturday, the 'Cats visit New Jersey on Monday and Orlando on Wednesday. 

Oddsmaker.com is listing Orlando at +400 to win the Eastern Conference this season, behind the Cleveland Cavaliers at -150 and Boston at +200, and ahead of the Atlanta Hawks at +2,000, the Heat at +2,500, the 76ers at +3,000, Chicago and the Detroit Pistons at +5,000, and Charlotte at +50,000.

And on Oddsmaker.com's updated NBA championship betting board, the Magic are listed at +800, below the Los Angeles Lakers at +140, the Cavs at +200 and the defending-champion Celtics at +500, and above the  San Antonio Spurs at +1,000, the Utah Jazz at +1,500, the Denver Nuggets at +2,500, the Houston Rockets at +3,000, the Portland Trail Blazers at +3,500, the Hawks and New Orleans Hornets at +4,000, the Heat at +5,000, the Dallas Mavericks at +7,500, the Pistons at +10,000, the Bulls and Sixers at +12,500, and the Bobcats at +100,000.

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