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There's movement afoot in the NBA standings, and that's notable with just over five weeks remaining in the 2025-26 regular season and so many teams already in tank mode.

The Oklahoma City Thunder and Detroit Pistons remain entrenched atop their respective conferences, but the teams jockeying for playoff seeding beneath them have turned into this into a race worth monitoring with so little time left before the postseason starts.

Over the past week, the Minnesota Timberwolves have surged past the Denver Nuggets into the top four of the Western Conference and could soon pass the Houston Rockets for the No. 3 seed. Including the Los Angeles Lakers, there are four teams out west duking it out for the chance to have home-court advantage in a first-round playoff series. The top four in the Eastern Conference is more entrenched, with the Boston Celtics, New York Knicks and Cleveland Cavaliers likely to join the Pistons barring a poor close to the regular season.

But how those teams shake out in terms of seeding could have a profound effect on later rounds in the playoffs and matchups. The seeding for the play-in tournament is also a dynamic situation, although there isn't currently much drama regarding the four play-in teams in the Eastern or Western Conferences due to the tanking dynamics at play.

Here's a breakdown of the current NBA playoff picture, including what teams would make the postseason if the regular season ended today:

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The Heat will try to complete a two-game home-and-more sweep when they host the Brooklyn Nets on Thursday night.

Miami easily covered on Tuesday and should have an even easier time at home tonight, which is why I’m taking it to cover in my Nets vs. Heat predictions.

Let’s take a closer look at how bettors can approach tonight’s matchup in my free NBA picks for Thursday, March 5.

Nets vs Heat prediction

Nets vs Heat best bet: Heat -13 (-115)

The Brooklyn Nets came into Tuesday’s matchup with the Miami Heat off one of their best recent performances, having covered in a 106-102 loss to the Cavaliers. But Brooklyn laid another egg at home against Miami, losing by 26.

There’s no reason to expect anything different in Miami tonight. The Heat have covered in five of their last seven games, including twice as a double-digit favorite.

Brooklyn rank as the league’s worst offensive team, averaging just 106.8 points per game, and those struggles are likely to continue tonight against a high-powered Miami offense putting up 119.9 points per game.

Nets vs Heat same-game parlay

Along with taking the Heat to win big again – a leg I’m taking in all my parlays tonight – I’ll also pick Bam Adebayo to get Over 20.5 points, a target he’s hit in each of his last three games.

Let’s round out the SGP with a bet on Andrew Wiggins to get Over 2.5 assists, a target he’s surpassed in four of his last five contests.

Nets vs Heat SGP

• Heat -13
• Bam Adebayo Over 20.5 points
• Andrew Wiggins Over 2.5 assists

Our "from downtown" SGP: Buckets & Bam Bam

The Under has hit easily in each of the first two meetings between these teams this season, and I like it again for tonight’s matchup.

I’m also banking on Adebayo to fill up the box score: he’s hit this PRA total in each of his last three games, and is coming off a six-steal performance against the Nets on Tuesday.

Nets vs Heat SGP

• Heat -13
• Under 227
• Bam Adebayo Over 33.5 points + assists + rebounds
• Bam Adebayo Over 1.5 steals + blocks

Nets vs Heat odds

• Spread: Brooklyn +13 (-105) | Miami -13 (-115)
• Moneyline: Brooklyn +550 | Miami -800
• Over/Under: Over 227 (-110) | Under 227 (-110)

Nets vs Heat betting trend to know

The Nets are 1-8 ATS in their last nine games overall. Find more NBA betting trends for Nets vs. Heat.

How to watch Nets vs Heat

Nets vs Heat latest injuries

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NBA front offices have long pegged Arizona freshmen Brayden Burries and Koa Peat as first round picks in this year’s NBA Draft. It now appears that a third Wildcat could join them in being selected in the first round.

NBA Mock Drafts published this week by The Athletic and Bleacher Report have Arizona big man Motiejus Krivas being picked as a late first-rounder, giving Arizona three first round picks.

In the latest mock from The Athletic’s Sam Vecenie, Burries is projected to go No. 10 to the Chicago Bulls, followed by Peat at No. 11 to the San Antonio Spurs. Vecenie has Krivas being picked at No. 28 to the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Further down, Vecenie projects point guard Jaden Bradley to be taken at No. 51 by the Washington Wizards, while former Wildcat turned North Carolina Tarheel Henri Veesaar is slated to go No. 32 to the New York Knicks.

Arizona’s four projected draft picks are the most of any program.

Jonathan Wasserman’s mock for Bleacher Report has Burries going No. 8 to the Memphis Grizzlies, Peat at No. 16 to the Miami Heat and Krivas at No. 29 to the Dallas Mavericks.

Losing Burries and Peat to the NBA was the expectation all along, but Krivas leaving would be a jolt to Arizona’s rebuilding efforts for next season. That’s not to say Krivas leaving would be a total surprise.

The Lithuanian caught the attention of NBA scouts well before his breakout junior season. ESPN projected the 7-foot-2 Krivas as a first round pick last season before he missed most of the year with a foot injury.

Krivas has bolstered his draft stock as one of the top defenders in the Big 12. Krivas is a consistent double-double threat and shoots free throws at an impressive 80% clip.

ESPN Big 12 commentator Fran Fraschilla weighed in this week on Krivas’ looming NBA Draft decision, saying that Krivas would benefit from another season in college. Fraschilla laid out several reasons why Krivas should return to Arizona.

“From talking with Wildcat folks, he loves his situation in Tucson,” Fraschilla wrote.

Fraschilla added a caveat: If Krivas leads Arizona to a national title and plays great in March, “Tommy Lloyd will push him out the door.”

That’s a deal most Arizona fans would take in a heartbeat, even if it means missing out on one Mo year.

After nearly 10 months rehabbing a ruptured Achilles tendon, Jayson Tatum will reportedly play basketball for the Boston Celtics this season.

According to ESPN, Tatum may make his much-anticipated return as soon as Friday, March 6 against the Dallas Mavericks. Per ESPN, Tatum will inform the team over the next day about his availability against Dallas.

In the first injury report for the game, the Celtics officially listed Tatum as questionable. Presumably, Tatum will undergo final preparations to ensure he's ready to go, but, either way, Tatum had been ramping up his rehab.

Last month, the Celtics announced that Tatum participated in portions of a G League practice.

The streak rolls on. The Brooklyn Nets began a three game road trip on Tuesday night against the Miami Heat. The Heat were too hot to handle and handed the Nets their ninth straight defeat, 124-98. Fortunately for the Nets, they didn’t have to travel between games. Unfortunately for the Nets, they have to play the Heat one more time.

Where to follow the game

YES Network on TV. WFAN on radio. Gotham Sports on streaming. Tip after 7:30 PM.

🤕 Injuries

No Egor Demin. Drake Powell and the three two-ways are with Long Island. Grant Nelson remains with Brooklyn on a 10-day.

Norman Powell is out.

🏀 The game

Miami won the first two meetings. This is the last meeting between the teams this season.

Michael Porter Jr is looking to bounce back tonight. He tied a season low with nine points and Tuesday was only the third time this season he’s been held below ten points. When he doesn’t play well, Brooklyn’s slim chances of victory drop all the way to zero.

Every game is a lesson for the Nets, and without Demin for the foreseeable future, Nolan Traore and Ben Saraf will have plenty of chances to learn on the job. They had respectively terrible games against the Heat defense, and Jordi Fernandez wants them to be a lot better this time around:

“I know they’re better. There’s not an excuse if their young, I’ve watched them play, and they’re way, way better than 12 turnovers to zero assists. The assists — sometimes if the shots don’t go in, it’s hard to get assists. I don’t know about the potential assist. I have to look at it, but the turnovers for sure, like how they organize the team, how vocal they are, all that it’s important.”

No time better than the present to learn and grow.

👀 Player to watch: Bam Adebayo

Adebayo has been one of the better, more versatile defenders in the league throughout the 2020s. However, he doesn’t have as much hardware as you’d think. He’s never finished higher than third in Defensive Player of the Year voting and has only made 1st Team All Defense once. Although he hasn’t gotten love from the voters, Bam knows that everyone sees his value:

“From my peers and the people who play against me and understand that you’ve got to put me in the corner, so I don’t mess up your offensive schemes, that’s what matters more… that’s real in basketball. A lot of people who are doing surveys wouldn’t know that. They just think because, ‘Oh, he’s a DPOY because he has five blocks a game.’”

An inspired closing run by the Heat could cause voters to change their mind. As it stands, he’s leading one of the best defensive units in the NBA this year.

Nic Claxton and Day’ron Sharpe have the assignment of slowing down not just Adebayo, but Kel’el Ware off the bench as well. It seems like the Heat still have reservations about Ware, but he fills up the box sheet every night he gets real minutes. And for a team that’s older than you think, they need some youth somewhere.

📺 From the Vault

30 years ago, we received a blessing

More reading: Hot, Hot Hoops, SB Nation NBA, New York Post, New York Daily News, Clutch Points, Nets Wire, Steve’s Newsletter

• Brooklyn Nets Game Notes – Brooklyn Nets
• Miami Heat Game Notes – Miami Heat
• Miami puts home win streak on the line against Brooklyn – AP
• Jordi Fernandez calls out Nets starters following humiliating Heat defeat – Bridget Reilly – New York Post
• Egor Dëmin to miss third straight game vs. Heat as Nets seek cleaner rematch in Miami ($) – C.J. Holmes – New York Daily News
• Possession game swings hard as Nets’ rookies struggle with Heat pressure ($) – C.J. Holmes – New York Daily News
• Jordi Fernandez’s Michael Porter Jr. benching comes with direct ‘challenge’ – Erik Slater – Clutch Points

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The Toronto Raptors have some demons when facing good teams this season. 

They’ve made a habit of coughing up leads late. For example, they held a 10-point lead heading into the fourth quarter and lost the last time they played the Minnesota Timberwolves on February 4.

My Raptors vs. Timberwolves predictions and NBA picks break down if Toronto can exercise some of those demons at the Target Center in what should be a low-scoring game on Thursday, March 5.

Raptors vs Timberwolves prediction

Raptors vs Timberwolves best bet: Under 225.5 (-110)

For whatever reason, the Toronto Raptors are coming up short in big games, but strong defense has been a staple, which has me looking at the Under tonight vs. the Minnesota Timberwolves.

It’s a matchup of two Top-10 defenses, with one of the Raptors’ strengths being their 3-point defense. They allow the fifth-lowest percentage in the NBA, which is important against a T-wolves team that ranks 11th in made threes per game.

Combine that with the Raps’ inconsistent scoring, and it’s no surprise that Toronto has been one of the better Under bets in the NBA at 24-37 O/U.

Raptors vs Timberwolves same-game parlay

Minnesota has been great defensively this season, ranking ninth in defensive rating and seventh in opponent effective field goal percentage.

That means missed shots, and Toronto ranks 18th in rebounding rate, so give me the Over on Rudy Gobert’s rebounds.

Meanwhile, Anthony Edwards was a menace when these two teams last played, nabbing three steals, and he's topped 1.5 steals in seven of his last 11 games. I’ll take the Over at plus money.

Raptors vs Timberwolves SGP

• Under 22.5.5
• Rudy Gobert Over 11.5 rebounds
• Anthony Edwards Over 1.5 steals

Our "from downtown" SGP: Big-man battle

This matchup between Gobert and Jakob Poeltl could be a big key to this game, and a double-double is on the table for both.

Raptors vs Timberwolves SGP

• Rudy Gobert double-double
• Jakob Poeltl double-double

Raptors vs Timberwolves odds

• Spread: Raptors +4.5 | Timberwolves -4.5
• Moneyline: Raptors +170 | Timberwolves -205
• Over/Under: Over 225.5 | Under 225.5

Raptors vs Timberwolves betting trend to know

The Raptors have hit the Game Total Under in 29 of their last 45 games for +11.40 Units and a 23% ROI. Find more NBA betting trends for Raptors vs. Timberwolves.

How to watch Raptors vs Timberwolves

Raptors vs Timberwolves latest injuries

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.

BOSTON (AP) — Celtics list Jayson Tatum as questionable, clearing way for his return 9 months after Achilles tendon surgery.

GREENVILLE, S.C. (AP) — Clara Strack made a career-high five 3-pointers in matching her career best of 33 points and No. 17 Kentucky defeated No. 22 Georgia 76-61 in the second round of the SEC Tournament on Thursday.

Strack, a 6-foot-5 center, was 5 of 7 from the arc, 12 of 22 overall and grabbed eight rebounds for the ninth-seeded Wildcats (23-9), who will play top seed and third-ranked South Carolina in a Friday quarterfinal.

Teonni Key added 14 points and 12 rebounds and Tonie Morgan also scored 14 points and had seven assists for the Wildcats, who shot 50% and were 14 of 20 at the line to 6 of 8 for the Bulldogs.

Dani Carnegie scored 18 points, Trinity Turner 14 and Mia Woolfolk 11 for Georgia (22-9), which was just 5 of 26 on 3-pointers.

Strack and Amelia Hassett scored all the points in 13-2 run that left Kentucky ahead by 15 with under three minutes to go.

A Strack 3-pointer early in the third quarter gave Kentucky the lead for good. The Wildcats hit six straight shots in the period and Strack scored nine points for a 54-49 lead.

After Georgia scored the opening basket, Kentucky took and held the lead the remainder of the first quarter with Strack hitting a pair of 3-pointers and scoring 13 points. Carnegie hit a pair of 3s and scored the Bulldogs' first eight points of the second quarter to tie the game with Georgia leading 36-35 at the break.

Up next

Kentucky will get another shot at South Carolina, which took a 60-56 road win over the Wildcats on March 1.

Georgia will wait to see where it lands in the NCAA Tournament field.

___ Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here and here (AP News mobile app). AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball