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The Boston Celtics (12-10) trail the Brooklyn Nets (13-9) by one game in the Atlantic division. Both teams are chasing the New York Knicks (17-5), who hold the best record in the Eastern Conference. The Celtics have recently been trading spots with the Philadelphia 76ers (12-11) for third place in the division.
Around the Eastern Conference, the Milwaukee Bucks have grabbed a piece of the lead in the Central division. Milwaukee and the Chicago Bulls are both 12-9. In the Southeast, the Miami Heat's recent struggles have landed them in a tie for first place with the Atlanta Hawks. The Heat have dropped three of their last five games, while Atlanta has won five of its last six.
In the West, the San Antonio Spurs (18-4) and Oklahoma City Thunder (19-4) have comfortable leads atop their respective divisions. In the Pacific Division, the Los Angeles Clippers (16-6) lead the Golden State Warriors (15-8) by 1.5 games.