NBA POWER RANKINGS: Where every team stands heading into the playoffs

Record: 33-40, 8th place in East

Bubble record: 3-5

First-round opponent: Milwaukee Bucks

Vegas championship odds: 240/1

What to know: After two solid wins in the bubble, the Magic lost five straight, failing to capitalize on an opportunity to climb to 7th place in a weak bottom of the East. The team has been hurt by a weak bench and the loss of versatile third-year forward Jonathan Isaac, who tore his ACL.

Record: 35-37, 7th place in East

Bubble record: 5-3

First-round opponent: Toronto Raptors

Vegas championship odds: 240/1

What to know: The Nets lost almost all of their top rotation players from the regular season but were competitive in the bubble, beating teams like the Bucks and Clippers. Caris LeVert has starred (25-5-7 per game in the bubble) and gotten contributions from players who were unsigned until the bubble. But keeping up that level of play to beat the Raptors four times is a tall task.

Record: 43-32, 7th place in West

Bubble record: 3-5

First-round opponent: LA Clippers

Vegas championship odds: 49/1

What to know: The Mavericks were a possible dark horse entering the bubble, but for as hot as their offense has been, their defense has been just as bad. The Clippers, a team that beat the Mavs three times this season and has the defenders to make life difficult on Luka Doncic, are a bad matchup for Dallas.

Record: 35-39, 8th place in West

Bubble record: 6-2

First-round opponent: Los Angeles Lakers

Vegas championship odds: 60/1

What to know: The Blazers had to scrap just to make the playoffs, led by an offensive explosion from Damian Lillard. Do they have enough left in the tank to compete with the Lakers? Lillard and C.J. McCollum present matchup problems for the Lakers, but Portland's turnstile defense and lack of depth will hold them back.

Record: 44-28, 6th place in West

Bubble record: 3-5

First-round opponent: Denver Nuggets

Vegas championship odds: 49/1

What to know: The Jazz and Nuggets went to double overtime during the bubble, so Utah can certainly make this a series. But it's hard to get too excited about Utah's prospects in the postseason. They're without Bojan Bogdanovic, their second-leading scorer, Mike Conley appears to have suffered a big drop-off, and their bench is lacking.

Record: 43-30, 6th place in East

Bubble record: 4-4

First-round opponent: Boston Celtics

Vegas championship odds: 65/1

What to know: The Sixers were strong with Joel Embiid on the floor in the bubble, a huge factor when playing the Celtics, who don't have anyone to match up with the skilled big man. Still, Philadelphia has disappointed all season, and it's hard to imagine them turning things around while short-handed. The loss of Ben Simmons for the playoffs hurts the Sixers big time.

Record: 44-29, 5th place in East

Bubble record: 3-5

First-round opponent: Indiana Pacers

Vegas championship odds: 30/1

What to know: Since the calendar turned to 2020, the Heat have gone 20-20 while barely outscoring opponents. They're a good team, but it's hard to shake the feeling that they're missing a few pieces (or experience) to make it to the next level. Jimmy Butler, averaging 17 points and just 16% three-point shooting since the All-Star break, will need to elevate his game to take Miami further.

Record: 45-28, 4th place in East

Bubble record: 6-2

First-round opponent: Miami Heat

Vegas championship odds: 100/1

What to know: Indiana has received meaningful contributions from all over the roster all season. Most recently, it was from T.J. Warren, who exploded for 30 points per game in the bubble. Getting back All-Star big man Domantas Sabonis (out with a foot injury) would be huge for the Pacers.

Record: 46-27, 3rd place in West

Bubble record: 3-5

First-round opponent: Utah Jazz

Vegas championship odds: 24/1

What to know: Denver was uninspiring in the bubble, in part, because they were missing several players. They're still without starting shooting guard Gary Harris and small forward Gary Harris. Michael Porter Jr. has stepped up big time in their absences, but he is still inexperienced. Denver allowed 121.7 points per 100 possessions in the seeding games, the worst mark in the NBA.

Record: 44-28, 5th place in West

Bubble record: 4-4

First-round opponent: Houston Rockets

Vegas championship odds: 65/1

What to know: It wasn't a great bubble showing for the Thunder, though they were missing Dennis Schroeder for much of it, hurting a team with little depth, to begin with. The Thunder are 38-17 since November 28, the third-best record in the league, and they'll face a Rockets team without Russell Westbrook to begin the series. They're a threat to pull off a first-round upset.

Record: 44-28, 4th place in West

Bubble record: 4-4

First-round opponent: Oklahoma City Thunder

Vegas championship odds: 13/1

What to know: The Rockets' small-ball experiment fueled their defense in the bubble, though their offense was unusually off-kilter, even with James Harden putting together a strong performance. The Rockets will begin the playoffs without Russell Westbrook, but if they can get him back, they're dangerous — they're 36-19 with a 5.6 net rating with Harden and Westbrook on the floor this season.

Record: 48-24, 3rd place in East

Bubble record: 5-3

First-round opponent: Philadelphia 76ers

Vegas championship odds: 17/1

What to know: The Celtics have entered the championship contenders conversation, thanks to a remarkably consistent season and strong bubble showing. They'll need to get out of the first round, which will mean finding a way to slow down Joel Embiid, perhaps the worst possible matchup for them. Still, it can be argued no team in the East has a scarier rotation of wings.

Record: 53-19, 2nd place in East

Bubble record: 7-1

First-round opponent: Brooklyn Nets

Vegas championship odds: 10/1

What to know: We may now be at a point where everyone is saying, "No one is talking about the Raptors." But Toronto has still largely flown under the radar for a team that would have won 61 games in a normal season. The Raptors defense is electric, and while their half-court offense leaves a lot to be desired, in terms of chemistry and malleability, no team is better than Toronto right now.

Record: 52-19, 1st place in West

Bubble record: 3-5

First-round opponent: Portland Trail Blazers

Vegas championship odds: 7/2

What to know: The seeding games didn't go well for the Lakers. They locked up the No. 1 seed early, but that means little in the bubble. Anthony Davis and LeBron James struggled with consistency, they missed the contributions of Rajon Rondo and Avery Bradley, and they had the third-worst offense. Perhaps a first-round matchup with the porous Blazers defense will be exactly what the Lakers need to get going.

Record: 56-17, 1st place in East

Bubble record: 3-5

First-round opponent: Orlando Magic

Vegas championship odds: 3/1

What to know: There are real concerns with the Bucks after a somewhat flat performance in the seeding games. Dating back to March, this team has lacked the juice that put them on pace for 70 wins from October-February. Questions remain about how their style will work in the playoffs. Of course, those issues could work themselves out with what should be an easy path to the Eastern Conference Finals.

Record: 49-23, 2nd place in West

Bubble record: 5-3

First-round opponent: Dallas Mavericks

Vegas championship odds: 5/2

What to know: Here we are. It took all season, but the preseason championship favorites once again look like the championship favorites with the playoffs beginning. The Clippers were uneven through much of the season and rarely had their full team available. But they're close to healthy going into the playoffs. In the seeding games, they were nearly unguardable with Paul George and Kawhi Leonard on the floor together, scoring a whopping 128 points per 100 possessions.