Eight teams to watch as NBA starts fast break to playoffs

Fox News Flash top sports headlines are here. Check out what's clicking on Foxnews.com.

With the calendar flipping to March, the NBA regular season is rapidly approaching its conclusion and the playoffs are near. 

It’s been a wild season with a trade deadline that saw one of the greatest players of all-time switch conferences, shaking up the NBA power rankings with just over 25 games remaining in the regular season. 

Kevin Durant of the Phoenix Suns during a game against the Charlotte Hornets March 1, 2023, at Spectrum Center in Charlotte, N.C.  (Kent Smith/NBAE via Getty Images)

As one MVP candidate noted, the NBA is wide open.  

"Obviously, every year, it's probably like four teams [that can win]," Giannis Antetokounmpo said during All-Star Weekend. "This year, it's probably four to six teams that have a chance to win a championship. I believe we are one of them. But nothing is guaranteed.

KEVIN DURANT MAKES SUNS DEBUT, SCORING 23 POINTS IN WIN OVER HORNETS: ‘FEEL LIKE I FIT IN PRETTY WELL’

"I have never seen anybody that just showed up, and they gave you a championship. You have to earn it. But it's definitely open."

Let’s take a look at eight teams to watch as the NBA Playoffs rapidly approach. 

Sixteen consecutive wins, arguably the most dominant force in the league and depth every team in the NBA craves means Milwaukee has to be the betting favorite to represent the Eastern Conference in the 2023 NBA Finals.

Three-time All-Star Khris Middleton has played in just 20 games, and Jrue Holiday has missed 11 games. Yet, the Bucks now sit atop the East, a half-game up on the Boston Celtics and with the best record in the league.

The Milwaukee Bucks huddle after a game against the Orlando Magic March 1, 2023, at the