Atlanta clinched a post-season berth in dramatic fashion as Josh Smith beat the buzzer to give the Hawks an 86-84 win over the Orlando Magic.

Vince Carter levelled for the Magic with 9.9 seconds remaining and Atlanta went down the other end to set up Joe Johnson for the game-winning shot.

Johnson missed but Smith was on hand to dunk. Replays were needed to confirm the shot was made in time.

Johnson led the way with 17 points for Atlanta, who will make their third successive post-season appearance.

The Boston Celtics also reached the post-season with a 113-99 win over the Denver Nuggets.

Paul Pierce led the way with 27 points for the Celtics, while Carmelo Anthony added 32 for Denver.

LeBron James scored 38 points to give Central Division champions the Cleveland Cavaliers a 105-95 win over the New Orleans Hornets.

The Milwaukee Bucks saw their recent good form come crashing to a halt as they slipped up 101-86 against the Philadelphia 76ers and the Charlotte Bobcats moved up to sixth in the Eastern Conference as Stephen Jackson's 37 points led them to a 108-95 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves.

The Toronto Raptors lost ground with a 113-87 loss to the Utah Jazz, who joined the Dallas Mavericks and Denver on 47 wins in the Western Conference, while the New Jersey Nets beat the Sacramento Kings 93-79 to put them a game away from avoiding the worst ever NBA season.

At the top of the Western Conference, the Los Angeles Lakers rode Kobe Bryant's 24-point outing for a 92-83 win over the San Antonio Spurs, their seventh straight win.

Elsewhere, the Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Houston Rockets 122-104, the Indiana Pacers overcame the Washington Wizards 122-104 and the Golden State Warriors saw off the Memphis Grizzlies 128-110.