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Australians in the hot seat as NBA gets set for play-offs

Stephen Curry's Golden State Warriors and LeBron James' Cleveland Cavaliers appear headed for a third consecutive battle for the NBA title, although rival teams featuring Australian talent are poised to cause upsets.

The NBA regular season ends on Thursday (AEST).

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Patty Mills' San Antonio Spurs appear best placed to knock out the Warriors in the western conference.

Elsewhere, Joe Ingles, Dante Exum and their Utah Jazz teammates have secured a play-off berth and are locked in a battle with the Los Angeles Clippers for the important fourth seed.

In the eastern conference, the dark horse is the Milwaukee Bucks, with Australian duo Matthew Dellavedova and rookie Thon Maker key pieces of a young, talented squad focused on taking on the Cavaliers and the Boston Celtics.

The Cavaliers and Celtics are in a tight tussle for the east's top seed.

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The Warriors have guaranteed the top overall seed with the best regular season record (66 wins, 14 losses) heading into next weekend's first round of the play-offs.

The past two NBA championship series featured Andrew Bogut rim protecting for the Warriors and Dellavedova's aggressive point guard play for the Cavaliers.

But Bogut was shipped to the Dallas Mavericks, then to the Philadelphia 76ers before landing in Cleveland for just 58 seconds of game time before breaking his leg.

Dellavedova cashed in after his NBA title win last year with the Cavs by signing a $US38.5 million, four-year deal and has provided the steel the traditionally sub-par Bucks needed.

SAN ANTONIO SPURS

Patty Mills has been sensational off the bench for Gregg Popovich's experienced squad, shooting 41 per cent from behind the three point line while averaging 10 points and 22 minutes per game.

The Spurs will face the Memphis Grizzlies in the first round of the play-offs, with the Spurs locking up the western conference's second seed and the Grizzlies cementing the seventh seed on Friday.

Utah Jazz forward Joe Ingles, right, fouls New Orleans Pelicans guard Jrue Holiday (11) during the first half in an NBA basketball game Monday, March 27, 2017, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)

Utah Jazz forward Joe Ingles (right) has had the best NBA season of his career. Photo: AP

UTAH JAZZ

Dante Exum and Joe Ingles and the Jazz were sitting pretty in the west's coveted fourth play-off spot until Saturday when they were shredded 101-86 by the Portland Trail Blazers.

Adding to the Jazz's woes, the Clippers beat the Spurs to take the fourth spot.

The Clippers and Jazz both have 49-win, 31-loss regular season records, but the Clippers hold the tiebreaker advantage.

They are well ahead of sixth-placed Oklahoma City so destined to meet in the first round of the play-offs, with the only question what team will secure the fourth seed and gain home court advantage.

The Jazz face the Warriors and Spurs in the final two regular season games, but that might not be so daunting as Warriors coach Steve Kerr and the Spurs' Popovich, with playoff spots cemented, likely to rest their stars.

The Clippers finish against the Houston Rockets and Sacramento Kings.

The final two games of the regular season and the playoffs could be career-defining for Exum, with the Jazz desperate for the Melbourne-born 21-year-old to step up.

Exum is just one of two healthy point guards on the Jazz and will go head-to-head with one of NBA's greats at the position, the Clippers' Chris Paul who has schooled the Australian in the past.

Ingles has had the best NBA season of his career, averaging 24 minutes a game, seven points and connecting on 44 per cent of his three-pointers.

Milwaukee Bucks guard Matthew Dellavedova (8) controls the ball against Memphis Grizzlies guard Vince Carter (15) in the first half of an NBA basketball game, Monday, March 13, 2017, in Memphis, Tenn. (AP Photo/Brandon Dill)

Milwaukee Bucks guard Matthew Dellavedova brings his big-game experience to the play-offs. Photo: AP

MILWAUKEE BUCKS

The Bucks ended a worrying three-game losing streak and clinched a play-off berth on Saturday by taking advantage of the injury-devastated Philadelphia 76ers 90-82.

Their 41-win, 39-loss record places them in sixth position, just behind the Atlanta Hawks (41-38) and one ahead of the Indiana Pacers (40-40).

If the standings hold for the rest of the regular season the Bucks will play the Toronto Raptors in the first round, but if they jump ahead of the Hawks they will face the Washington Wizards.

Matt Dellavedova will bring his Cavaliers' play-off experience to a team of young guns, headed by forward-guard Giannis Antetokounmpo and fellow Australian and one of the NBA's best rookies, Thon Maker.

VACATION PLANNING

Australia's Ben Simmons, the NBA draft's No.1 pick, was supposed to lead the beleaguered Philadelphia 76ers' revival, but less than a month before the 2016-17 season began he fractured his foot and gave former NBL coach Brett Brown another horror season.

The 76ers have the fourth-worst record in the NBA with 28 wins and 52 losses.

Queensland big man Aron Baynes and his Detroit Pistons also entered the season with high expectations, but they have spluttered to a 36-43 record and have been eliminated from the play-offs.

AAP