NBA scores 2015: Race for the East’s final playoff spots heats up and 3 other things we learned

With an overtime win over the Raptors, the Celtics surpassed the Heat in the standings for No. 8 in the East. That and the rest of Saturday’s action in the NBA.

by Jeje Gomez

Apr 5, 2015, 1:00 PM UTC

Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports

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NBA schedule and results: Celtics win while Heat collapse

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As the regular season winds down to a close, the fight for the last two playoff spots in the Eastern conference is by far the most interesting storyline left to be resolved. Five teams see their fates change every 24 hours, looking like apparent locks to make the postseason one day only to see their chances dilute with untimely losses the next. Saturday offered a prime example of the volatile nature of the race, as the Heat and Nets, the two incumbents at the beginning of the night, went through very different types of heartbreaking defeats while the Celtics enjoyed an emotional win that propelled them to the No. 8 spot.

The Nets got a reality check. They were on a six-game win streak when they visited the Hawks and were playing the best basketball of their season. With Deron Williams looking rejuvenated after the All-Star break and Brook Lopez playing like a star, the Nets had climbed all the way up to seventh in the East. A 32-point blowout loss to the Hawks proved just how much Brooklyn still needs to improve to compete with the elite. Atlanta rained threes on an inattentive defense while Al Horford outplayed Lopez down low. The Nets are now up only half a game from the eight seed and one from being out of the playoffs.

The outcome in Atlanta would have been the most deflating loss of the night if not for what happened to the Miami Heat. Miami led the Pistons by 15 points halfway through the final quarter before a complete collapse robbed them of a much-needed win.

It was the wrong night to make costly mistakes, as the Celtics pulled off a gutsy win in Toronto and claimed temporary hold of eighth spot. The Raptors are fighting a battle for seeding of their own against the Washington Wizards and needed this one since four of their remaining five games will be on the road. DeMar DeRozan and Evan Turner traded impressive moments in regulation while Lou Williams knocked down an off-balance three-pointer with four seconds to go in overtime that looked like a dagger. Boston didn't panic, however, and after two timeouts, got Isaiah Thomas a shot at the rim. Since his man had left him to help contest the layup, Marcus Smart grabbed the rebound after the miss and won it at the buzzer.

In just one night the Nets went from being a rising team to looking vulnerable and tired. The Heat, the only one of the three squads to boast championship experience, made mistake after mistake and failed to close out the game. And the Celtics, which had suffered a tough loss just Friday against the Bucks, didn't look young and inexperienced but poised and hungry. If the past few weeks are any indication, everything could change the next game and the teams celebrating on Saturday could be lamenting their luck on Monday.

The first round of the East playoffs is probably not going to be exciting, as the talent gap between these teams and the truly good ones is stark. The race to the postseason, however, is offering plenty of unpredictable and exciting moments during a time of the year in which surprises are few and far between.

3 things we learned

The Hornets' playoff chances are technically alive but they will miss Al Jefferson. The Hornets needed Gerald Henderson to score on a drive with six seconds to go in the game to get past the 76ers at home. The win keep their hopes of making the postseason intact, as they are only 1.5 games behind the Celtics. Unfortunately, it's very hard to see Charlotte put enough points on the board to make that push without Al Jefferson. Big Al sat Saturday's game with knee soreness and coach Steve Clifford said he might be shut down for the season. With four of their final six matchups featuring teams with winning records, the Hornets' chances of making the playoffs don't look good if Jefferson doesn't play or is severely limited by his injury.

John Wall continues to be a beast. A day after dropping a career-high 18 assists on the New York Knicks, Wall had 14 against the Memphis Grizzlies to lead Washington to an unexpected road win. Wall also scored 18 points and pulled down six rebounds to round out a fantastic performance. The Wizards have struggled greatly for the past three months, as their lack of depth has been exposed. Wall, however, deserves to be appreciated as the elite talent he is. Washington has a chance to advance to the second round of the playoffs, as it will likely face the similarly inconsistent Raptors. The only way they could be able to pull that off is if Wall continues to play like a star.

The Pelicans need to beat good teams if they want make the playoffs. After four straight victories against bad teams, the Pelicans couldn't pass the first real test they've faced in a while, letting the Blazers close the night with a 14-5 run to win a game that was tied with a little more than four minutes to go in the fourth quarter. Anthony Davis settled for bad shots all night, taking 11 of his 20 outside the paint.

The Pelicans let the opportunity to catch the Thunder in the standings slip away despite good performances by Tyreke Evans and Eric Gordon and are now a full game back from the eighth spot. With their remaining schedule pitting them against the Warriors, Rockets, Grizzlies and Spurs they will need to find a way to beat good teams if they want to make the playoffs.

Play of the night

Jeff Green has not been the significant upgrade at the forward spots the Grizzlies were hoping he'd be when they traded for him, but he's good for a highlight a night, as this vicious dunk over Kevin Seraphin proves.