Suns closing in on play-in tournament, hoping to hold off Clippers

Just four regular-season games separate the Phoenix Suns from the postseason and a likely NBA Play-In Tournament fate.

Entering play Tuesday, Phoenix holds the seventh seed in the Western Conference, three games back of the Minnesota Timberwolves.

The magic number now sits at two: One Suns loss and a Timberwolves win locks Phoenix into the play-in. They each have four games left in the season.

Both teams play on Tuesday, with Phoenix hosting Houston and Minnesota visiting Indiana.

According to Basketball-Reference.com, Phoenix has a 0.9% chance of taking over the sixth spot and avoiding the play-in.

On the flip side, Phoenix has a 96% chance of entering the play-in tournament as the seventh seed, with a 3.1% shot at the eighth seed.

The Suns currently sit 3.0 games ahead of the Los Angeles Clippers and 3.5 ahead of the Portland Trail Blazers. Phoenix’s magic number to hold off Los Angeles is two, and it can’t drop lower than the eighth seed.

Staying in the seventh seed would mean Phoenix hosts the first play-in game. A win there over the eighth seed would position the Suns as the seventh seed in the playoffs.

If Phoenix loses that first game, it still has a chance to take the final seed out west with a victory over the winner of the 9-10 seed game.

NBA standings: The Suns and the play-in picture

6. Minnesota Timberwolves (46-32) — 16.0 games behind 1st
7. Phoenix Suns (43-35) — 19.0 games behind 1st
8. Los Angeles Clippers (40-38) — 22.0 games behind 1st
9. Portland Trail Blazers (40-39) — 22.5 games behind 1st
10. Golden State Warriors (36-42) — 26.0 games behind 1st

Phoenix Suns remaining schedule

vs. Houston (47-29) – Tuesday, April 7

vs. Dallas (24-52) – Wednesday, April 8

at Los Angeles Lakers (50-27) – Friday, April 10

at Oklahoma City (61-16) – Sunday, April 12

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