The Washington Wizards had a chance to finish as high as first in the Eastern Conference but dropped five of eight down the stretch and ended up No. 4 while earning the franchise's first division title since 1978-79. The Wizards will begin their playoff run on Sunday by hosting the team that finished directly behind them in the Southeast Division, the Atlanta Hawks.

The Golden State Warriors posted the best record in the NBA for the third straight season and will begin their quest for a third straight trip to the NBA Finals when they host the eighth-seeded Portland Trail Blazers on Sunday in the opener of a first-round Western Conference playoff series. The Trail Blazers needed a surge over the final few weeks just to make the postseason field but enter the series with plenty of confidence.

The two leading MVP candidates square off in the most appealing first-round series and the festivities begin Sunday in Houston when the Rockets host the Oklahoma City Thunder. Oklahoma City point guard Russell Westbrook set the all-time record with 42 triple-doubles while Houston star point guard James Harden also enjoyed a tremendous campaign and recorded 22 triple-doubles.