It took two months, but the Indiana Pacers finally are beginning to look like a playoff contender again. The Pacers will try to get one step closer to clinching a postseason spot and win their fourth straight when they visit the Philadelphia 76ers on Monday.

The Boston Celtics will try to keep alive their slim chances at the top seed in the Eastern Conference when they host the Brooklyn Nets on Monday. The Celtics are tied with the Cleveland Cavaliers - who own the tiebreaker - with two to play following a 121-114 win at Charlotte on Sunday.

The Cleveland Cavaliers have fallen apart in consecutive games down the stretch and hope to have enough in the tank to secure the top seed in the Eastern Conference for the postseason. Meanwhile, the Miami Heat still are trying to sneak in at the other end of the playoff race as they open a two-game homestand Monday with a crucial matchup against the Cavaliers.

The Chicago Bulls remain in a tight battle for a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference as they begin a two-game homestand to end the regular season against the Orlando Magic on Monday. The Bulls split a four-game road trip against four non-playoff teams, with Saturday's one-point loss at Brooklyn one of the worst setbacks of the season.

The Milwaukee Bucks finally clinched a playoff spot over the weekend, but where they will end up being seeded in the Eastern Conference has yet to be determined. The Bucks continue to push for the No. 5 spot in the East on Monday, when they host the already-eliminated Charlotte Hornets.

The Washington Wizards may choose to rest some of their key players when they visit the Detroit Pistons on Monday. A win by Toronto on Sunday locked the Wizards into the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference, rendering a two-game road trip to end the regular season nothing more than a tune-up for the playoffs.

Monday's meeting between the host Portland Trail Blazers and San Antonio Spurs became meaningless from a playoff perspective on Sunday evening, when Denver squandered a fourth-quarter lead in a loss to Oklahoma City. That defeat clinched the No. 8 spot in the Western Conference for the Trail Blazers.

The Los Angeles Clippers attempt to reach 50 victories for the fifth consecutive season and improve their chances at home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs when they host the Houston Rockets on Monday. The Clippers are tied with Utah for fourth place in the Western Conference with two games left after winning five consecutive contests.

One of the few races still to be decided with three days left in the regular season is for the No. 4 seed in the Western Conference,  a spot for which the Utah Jazz and Los Angeles Clippers are fighting as home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs is on the line. The Jazz will try to get ahead in the race on Monday as they visit the top-seeded Golden State Warriors, who are winners of 14 in a row.