Pelicans (45-37), Spurs (55-27)
Nothing about the 2014-15 season ever came easily for the New Orleans Pelicans. Which made Wednesday’s season finale a fitting ending to a regular season filled with drama and unpredictability. The Pelicans are headed to the 2015 NBA playoffs because after building a big lead, followed by a Spurs surge that somehow cut NOLA’s lead to three in the final minute, the hosts held on to win. New Orleans is headed to the playoffs for the first time since 2011, earning a first-round matchup with No. 1 seed Golden State.