If the Lakers, Wizards and Bulls played this way all along, they would have known their playoff destinations long before the last night of the regular season.

Once the NBA's postseason picture was finally settled Wednesday night, one thing was clear: Some low seeds will be dangerous if they ride their late-season rolls right into the playoffs.

Right at the top of the list is Los Angeles, which brings the NBA's leading scorer and a five-game winning streak into its first-round series with Pacific Division champion Phoenix.

The Lakers, who have won 11 of their last 14 games, beat the New Orleans Hornets 115-95 to clinch seventh place in the Western Conference.

The Chicago Bulls finished with a six-game winning streak to finish 41-41 and claimed the No. 7 seed.

The Bulls will face Southeast Division champion Miami in a first-round series that begins Saturday night.

Washington closed the regular season with three straight victories to vault into the No. 5 seed in the East. With a 96-80 victory over Detroit on Wednesday, the Wizards earned a trip to fourth-seeded Cleveland and avoided having to play a division champion in the first round.