---

The Washington Wizards have found their stride at exactly the right time as they have won eight straight games – trailing only the red-hot New York Knicks for the longest active win streak in the league – to climb into the Eastern Conference Play-In field. A win by the Wizards on Monday would match the franchise-record for most consecutive wins – tying the Bullets teams from 1968, 1969 and 1978 as well as the Wizards team from 2001. Washington currently holds the No. 10 spot in the East, while the Spurs are No. 9 win the West as they look for their third straight win tonight. Only 1.5 games separate Nos. 7-10 in the West, so position in the Play-In Tournament is definitely still up for grabs.

The Nets have won two straight with Kevin Durant back in the lineup as they have taken over first place in the East over the struggling Sixers, who have lost four in a row. Kyrie Irving (34 points) and Durant (33) combined for 77 points in Brooklyn’s win over Phoenix on Sunday as the team still awaits the return of James Harden to reunite the Big Three. Meanwhile, the Raptors find themselves on the opposite end of the playoff race, as they sit two games back of the scorching Wizards for the final spot in the Eastern Conference Play-In.

Boston enters Week 19 clinging to the No. 6 spot in the East by the slimmest of margins (via holding the tiebreakers with No. 7 Miami). The Hornets sit just 1.5 games back of both the Heat and Celtics as the three teams fight for the final guaranteed playoff berth and look to avoid having to survive the Play-In Tournament to make the postseason. The Celtics and Hornets have split their first two meetings of the season, so this game will determine the head-to-head tiebreaker should the teams find themselves tied at the end of the regular season.

The Blazers enter Week 19 having lost five straight games (they are 3-10 in the month of April) as they have fallen down the Western Conference standings and find themselves in the No. 7 spot, just a half-game ahead of the Grizzlies. Portland’s most recent two losses have been to Memphis as the teams are playing their entire three-game season series in the span of six days. If the season ended today, the Blazers and Grizzlies would meet in the Seven-Eight Game in the Play-In Tournament in a rematch of last year’s play-in that was won by Portland.

New Orleans’ Play-In hopes are fading as they currently sit 4.5 games back of Golden State and San Antonio for one of the final two spots in the field. After opening the week going against teams currently near the top of the playoff picture – Clippers on Monday, Nuggets on Wednesday – the Pelicans close the week with games against the Thunder (lost 13 straight) and Timberwolves (eliminated from playoff contention), who enter Week 19 ranked 13th and 14th in the Western Conference, respectively. Just about every game is a must-win for the Pelicans from here on out, especially games against teams below them in the standings.

The top two seeds in the Western Conference meet for the final time in the regular season with the Suns going for the season sweep of the Jazz as they look to catch Utah for the No. 1 seed in the conference (and league overall). Both teams also have to keep an eye on the LA Clippers, who enter Week 19 having won four in a row and have moved into a virtual tie with Phoenix (Suns are up by 0.006 in win percentage). The Clippers are 9-1 in their last 10 games, while the Jazz and Suns are both 6-4. Utah became the first team in the league to clinch a playoff berth over the weekend, but can they hold their No. 1 spot over the final three weeks.

This is a matchup of one team looking to avoid the Play-In Tournament (Atlanta) and another team looking to get into the Play-In Tournament (Chicago). The Hawks enter Week 19 in fifth place in the East, tied with New York at 34-27 but the Knicks hold the tiebreaker, and with a two-game cushion over Boston and Miami in the Nos. 6 and 7 spots. Bogdan Bogdanovic’s play has helped the Hawks continue to win while Trae Young recovers from a sprained ankle. The Bulls enter the week in the dreaded No. 11 spot in the East, two games behind the streaking Wizards for the final spot in the Play-In Tournament. An advantage for the Bulls is that they own the head-to-head tiebreakers with both Toronto (currently No. 12) and Washington, so all they need to do is pull even in the standings.

If the season ended today, the Heat and Hornets would meet in the Seven-Eight Game in the Eastern Conference Play-In Tournament. However, both teams have their focus on catching Boston for the No. 6 seed and having a guaranteed spot in the playoff field. Charlotte already owns the head-to-head tiebreaker with Miami as they lead the season series 2-0 with Sunday’s game being the final regular season meeting, and they can clinch the tiebreaker with Boston earlier this week (see Wednesday’s listing above). Charlotte has stayed in the playoff mix while being shorthanded, but are expected to get LaMelo Ball and Malik Monk back soon – they could potentially be back by this weekend to participate in this game. They are also awaiting the eventual return of Gordon Hayward ahead of the Playoffs – or Play-In – depending on how these final weeks go.