Playoff positioning fights continue, and see what games matter most

The Dallas Mavericks are in the playoffs. So are the Los Angeles Clippers.

There are now seven playoff spots clinched in the NBA: Boston and Milwaukee have them from the Eastern Conference, while Minnesota, Denver, Oklahoma City, Dallas and the Clippers have them from the Western Conference. The Mavericks and Clippers both got big road wins to help secure their berths Tuesday night.

That leaves 11 teams still in the running to grab the other five guaranteed playoff spots. Atlanta and Chicago are certain to meet in an elimination play-in game next week.

Wednesday’s slate is highlighted by a showdown in the West with Minnesota visiting Denver. The winner will have outright possession of the No. 1 spot in the West with two games remaining — and if the Timberwolves win, they would hold the head-to-head tiebreaker as well.

Of the eight games on Wednesday’s schedule, seven have at least some sort of playoff or play-in implications.

WEDNESDAY’S NATIONAL TV SCHEDULE

There are eight games Wednesday, two of them nationally televised:

7:30 p.m. Eastern — Dallas at Miami, ESPN

10 p.m. Eastern — Minnesota at Denver, TNT/TRUTV WHO’S IN/WHO’S OUT The only seed that has been locked up is East No. 1, which Boston wrapped up weeks ago.

Denver, Minnesota, Oklahoma City, the Clippers and Mavericks have clinched playoff spots in the Western Conference. Boston and Milwaukee have clinched spots from the Eastern Conference.

As of now, Philadelphia, Miami, Chicago, Atlanta, Phoenix, Sacramento, the Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State also hold what would be the play-in spots.

If Miami wins out, it would be no worse than No. 7 in the East and assured of two home play-in games if necessary. And Golden State is still behind the Lakers, but Tuesday night’s win in LA — highlighted by 26 3-pointers — means the Warriors would be no worse than No. 9 in the West (and assured of a home play-in elimination game if necessary) if they win out.

Brooklyn, Toronto, Charlotte, Washington, Detroit, Houston, Utah, Memphis, Portland and San Antonio have been eliminated from all contention. BETTING GUIDE Boston has home-court advantage throughout the NBA playoffs and is currently the heavy favorite to win the championship, according to Fanduel Sportsbook. The Celtics are listed at +160, well ahead of defending champion Denver (+350). Next up: the Clippers (+850), followed by Milwaukee (+1100) and Oklahoma City (+1400).

The Bucks’ odds took a hit this week, at least in part because of the calf injury that Giannis Antetokounmpo suffered on Tuesday night. STAT OF THE DAY The Boston-milwaukee game Tuesday night made history — and at least one record will never be broken.

The Celtics took no free throws in the game, the first time in NBA history a team has done that. And the Bucks took only two free throws. Here’s a list of just some of the marks that were set in that department during the game.

— Milwaukee committed four fouls, the fewest ever by a team in a game. The previous record was five, by Dallas vs. San Antonio in 1999 and Orlando vs. Philadelphia in 2013. (Fun fact: Celtics guard Jrue Holiday played in that Magic-76ers game as well.)

— Boston committed eight fouls. The 12 combined fouls by both teams broke the fewest-in-a-game record of 15, set in that Magic-76ers game in 2013.

— Boston tied the record for fewest free throws made, with zero. Toronto didn’t make any against Charlotte on Jan. 9, 1996.

— Milwaukee was 1 for 2 at the line. The Bucks became the 10th team to make exactly one free throw in a game.

— The teams combined to make one free throw, another record. The previous was seven, three by the Bucks and four by the Baltimore Bullets on Jan. 1, 1973.