It’s crunch time in the NBA. The regular season resumes Thursday night with just over six weeks until the playoffs, and the race for postseason spots and seeding promises to be intense.
There are plenty of questions left to be answered down the stretch.
Who will emerge from the crowded Eastern Conference field? Can the Phoenix Suns maintain their hold on the top spot in the Western Conference without the injured Chris Paul? Are the Los Angeles Lakers doomed to miss the playoffs entirely?
As the league gets back to work, our USA TODAY Sports NBA team made their predictions for how the rest of the season will unfold and how the playoff race will shake out:
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Jeff Zillgitt
Eastern Conference
1. Heat
2. Bucks
3. Sixers
4. Bulls
5. Cavaliers
6. Celtics
Play-in teams
7. Nets
8. Raptors
9. Hawks
10. Hornets
Play-in winners: 7. Nets. 8. Raptors.
Western Conference
1. Suns
2. Warriors
3. Grizzlies
4. Nuggets
5. Mavericks
6. Jazz
Play-in teams
7. Timberwolves
8. Lakers
9. Clippers
10. Spurs
Play-in winners: 7. Timberwolves. 8. Lakers.
East finals: Bucks over Heat.
West finals: Suns over Warriors.
NBA Finals: Suns over Bucks.
Follow Jeff Zillgitt on Twitter @JeffZillgitt.
Cydney Henderson
Eastern Conference
1. Heat
2. Sixers
3. Bulls
4. Bucks
5. Cavaliers
6. Celtics
Play-in teams
7. Nets
8. Raptors
9. Hawks
10. Hornets
Play-in winners: 7. Nets. 8. Raptors.
Western Conference
1. Suns
2. Warriors
3. Grizzlies
4. Mavericks
5. Jazz
6. Nuggets
Play-in teams
7. Timberwolves
8. Clippers
9. Lakers
10. Trail Blazers
Play-in winners: 7. Timberwolves. 8. Lakers.
East finals: Bucks over Heat.
West finals: Suns over Warriors.
NBA Finals: Suns over Bucks.
Follow Cydney Henderson on Twitter @CydHenderson.
Larry Starks
Eastern Conference
1. Heat
2. Sixers
3. Bulls
4. Bucks
5. Cavaliers
6. Nets
Play-in teams
7. Celtics
8. Raptors
9. Hawks
10. Hornets
Play-in winners: 7. Celtics. 8. Hawks.
Western Conference
1. Suns
2. Grizzlies
3. Warriors
4. Mavericks
5. Nuggets
6. Jazz
Play-in teams
7. Timberwolves
8. Clippers
9. Lakers
10. Trail Blazers
Play-in winners: 7. Timberwolves. 8. Clippers.
East finals: Nets over Heat.
West finals: Warriors over Suns.
NBA Finals: Warriors over Nets.
Follow Larry Starks on Twitter @larrystarksnba.
Matt Eppers
Eastern Conference
1. Heat
2. Bucks
3. Sixers
4. Bulls
5. Cavaliers
6. Nets
Play-in teams
7. Celtics
8. Raptors
9. Hawks
10. Hornets
Play-in winners: 7. Celtics. 8. Hawks.
Western Conference
1. Suns
2. Warriors
3. Grizzlies
4. Nuggets
5. Jazz
6. Mavericks
Play-in teams
7. Timberwolves
8. Lakers
9. Clippers
10. Spurs
Play-in winners: 7. Timberwolves. 8. Lakers.
East finals: Bucks over Heat.
West finals: Suns over Warriors.
NBA Finals: Bucks over Suns.
Follow Matt Eppers on Twitter @meppers_.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NBA second-half predictions: Will we see Bucks-Suns rematch in Finals?