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The Phoenix Suns received a huge boost in their chase of the top six places in the Western Conference on Wednesday.
Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and Co. defeated a Los Angeles Clippers team that rested their stars to move within a half-game of the New Orleans Pelicans for the No. 6 seed in the West.
New Orleans has an extra game left to play on Thursday, but it comes against the Sacramento Kings.
Thursday’s Pels-Kings contest is the first of a handful of games left in the season’s final four days that will have a significant impact on the play-in positions.
The Eastern Conference play-in race is as complicated as the West because teams ahead of the play-in spots continue to lose, like the Orlando Magic did on Wednesday.
The race for the fourth through seventh spots in the East could go in a multitude of directions.
Orlando’s Wednesday loss in Milwaukee opened up a possibility for it to fall out of the top six.
The Magic visit the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday and then finish the season against the Bucks on Sunday.
Three straight defeats to end the regular season would drop the Magic into seventh place, but Milwaukee already clinched a playoff berth and it could rest some players on Sunday.
Cleveland and Indiana play each other on Friday, but the Cavs likely will not drop past the No. 5 seed because it finishes the regular season against the tanking Charlotte Hornets.
Philadelphia can beat Orlando and the Brooklyn Nets to at least confirm the No. 7 seed and hosting privileges throughout the play-in round.
Indiana owns the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Sixers, so if they are the only two teams tied, it will finish ahead of Philadelphia.
There is a scenario in which the Pacers and Sixers win out and the Magic go 1-1. That would tie the Magic with the Sixers and drop Orlando to the No. 7 seed. The Sixers won the first two meetings with Orlando this season, so Friday’s result will not matter for the tiebreaker.
Miami seems locked into the No. 8 seed after its stumble against the Dallas Mavericks. The Heat will have two shots to make the playoff field.
The Chicago Bulls should host the No. 9-versus-No. 10 matchup. They finish with Detroit, Washington and New York. Atlanta visits Minnesota and Indiana.
Play-In Prediction: 7. Orlando, 8. Miami, 9. Chicago, 10. Atlanta
4. Los Angeles Clippers (51-29)
9. Los Angeles Lakers (45-35)
Phoenix’s win over the Clippers put pressure on the Pelicans to come away from Sacramento with a win to remain a full game in front going into Friday.
The Suns ended a two-game losing run, but the win should not be celebrated too much since the Clippers rested their starters.
New Orleans won all three of its games over Sacramento this season. A season sweep would leave the Pelicans one game in front of the Suns ahead of their Friday road game against Golden State.
The Warriors should move level with the Los Angeles Lakers through a Thursday victory over the Portland Trailblazers.
Golden State won the season series with the Lakers on Tuesday, so it can earn the No. 9 seed if it wins out.
The Lakers’ visit to New Orleans on Sunday will decide their fate. They should beat the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday.
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