5 NBA games to watch this week

With just over two weeks remaining in the regular season, the NBA is not short on intriguing upcoming matchups and games with heavy playoff implications. 

The Western Conference race is inching closer to being settled, but positioning is still very much up for grabs, while the East has five teams battling for the last two playoff spots. 

Tuesday: Indiana Pacers at Brooklyn Nets, 7:30 p.m. ET

This spot usually isn't reserved for squads with identical .438 winning percentages, but both the Nets and Pacers are among the teams entangled in the East playoff race.

Here's how things look entering play Monday: 

If the playoffs started Monday, the Nets would be in thanks to a three-game winning streak they'll bring into the week. And while Indiana is on the outside looking in, its favored to land the No. 8 seed, according to ESPN's playoff odds (which is cited above).

The season series is split at one game apiece, making this matchup all the more important for tiebreaker purposes. 

Wednesday: Los Angeles Clippers at Portland Trail Blazers, 10:00 p.m. ET (NBATV)

These two West powerhouses are currently projected to meet in the first round of the playoffs. The Trail Blazers are days away from clinching the Northwest Division, guaranteeing themselves home court in the first round. 

But a seven-game winning streak for the red-hot Clippers has given the team a chance to move up and snag a top-four seed.

The final meeting between these two comes after Portland won the last contest in overtime, following wins by Los Angeles in November and January.

Thursday: Miami Heat at Cleveland Cavaliers, 8:00 p.m. ET (TNT)

Besides the storyline of LeBron James playing the team he powered to four consecutive NBA Finals appearances, a first-round date between the Heat and Cavaliers is looking increasingly likely with each passing day.

Head-to-head records in the regular season don't mean a whole lot, but Miami has taken two-of-three from Cleveland. But even more important for the Heat is that All-Star Dwyane Wade has elevated his game in recent weeks, resembling the player who used to carry this Heat team before James flocked to South Beach.

Wade, over his last 14 games in which he's led the Heat to an 8-6 mark, has upped both his scoring and efficiency. 

Sunday: Houston Rockets at Oklahoma City Thunder, 1:00 p.m. ET (ABC)

The Rockets have surged, didn't a miss a beat with Dwight Howard sidelined for 26 games, and took advantage of the slumping Grizzlies to climb into first place in the Southwest Division.

Houston will get a Thunder team Sunday that's going to have to get in the hard way in a matchup that's set to feature MVP candidates - and the league's top two leading scorers - Russell Westbrook and James Harden. 

Oklahoma City holds a 2.5-game lead on the Pelicans, but is also set to embark on a difficult week that will put it up against the Mavericks and Memphis before closing it out versus the Rockets.

Sunday: Chicago Bulls at Cleveland Cavaliers, 3:30 p.m. ET (ABC)

The Bulls enter the week 2.5 games behind the Cavaliers for first place in the Central Division. Chicago has eight games remaining, with none bigger than Sunday's clash in Cleveland.

Closing out the regular season on a hot stretch could help the Bulls leapfrog the Cavaliers. But, even if they're unable to claim the division, the Bulls are still playing for the No. 3 seed. Finishing third or fourth - a spot the reeling Raptors occupy - is likely the difference between playing the Bucks or Wizards, who knocked Chicago out in five games in the first round of last year's playoffs.