Dyson Daniels has fouled out after a lengthy review as Atlanta fell short of a late comeback win against Cleveland to remain in NBA post-season limbo.

But there was no stopping Oklahoma City, who for the third straight season finished as the No.1 seed after their 128-110 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers.

The Hawks lost 122-116 to the Cavaliers at home on Wednesday (Thursday AEST), Cleveland's (51-29) fourth straight win meaning they can finish no lower than fourth in the Eastern Conference.

The Hawks (45-35) have now dropped their last two after winning 13-straight home games and remain without Australian centre Jock Landale (ankle), likely until the post-season.

The top six in each conference earn direct entry to the play-offs while teams ranked seventh to 10th will enter a play-in tournament to book their spots.

With two regular-season games to play, the Hawks sit just one win clear of Toronto (44-35) in fifth and have seventh-placed Orlando (44-36) within range and in form.

Daniels (12 points, seven rebounds, six assists, two steals, one block) was typically busy as he guarded Cavaliers star Donovan Mitchell (31 points).

Atlanta took a 67-56 lead on a Daniels dunk late in the first half before Cleveland went on a 17-3 run over the final minute of the second quarter and first three minutes of the third.

Down 110-92, the Hawks answered with an 18-2 run and got within two points in the final two minutes.

But Nickeil Alexander-Walker (25 points) fumbled possession and, after initially earning the offensive foul, Daniels fouled out when officials deemed he had impeded Mitchell's path to the rim.

Mitchell made both free throws to seal the contest.

Meanwhile Australian veteran Joe Ingles earned a rare start for Minnesota in Orlando, where the 38-year-old's wife and children are based, and had seven points on four shots to go with four assists, four rebounds and a steal in 18 minutes.

But the Timberwolves, secure in sixth in the Western Conference, were no match for the surging Magic.

The 132-120 win was a fourth-straight for the Magic, who sit seventh in the East and in a fight with the 76ers, Hawks, Raptors and Hornets for a top-six finish and guaranteed play-off spot.

In California, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and his defending champs became the seventh team in NBA history to finish with its conference's best regular-season record in at least three consecutive years.

It followed the dominant Celtics teams of the 1970s and 1980s, the Showtime Lakers, the storied 1990s Chicago Bulls, the 2000s Lakers and the 2010s Golden State Warriors.

The Thunder have been a powerhouse ever since they broke through two seasons ago to claim the best record in the West with 57 victories. After winning 68 games last year, they've become only the third team in NBA history to win at least 64 games in back-to-back seasons, joining the 1995-97 Bulls and the 2015-17 Warriors.