NBA play-in picture: Suns down to 4 potential 1st-round playoff opponents

The Phoenix Suns are that much closer to finding out who will be their first-round opponent in the postseason.

With the Denver Nuggets clinching the No. 6 seed with a win over the Memphis Grizzlies Thursday night, the play-in tournament matchups are nearly locked in outside of who will represent the ninth and 10th seeds between the New Orleans Pelicans and San Antonio Spurs.

Ahead of Saturday’s slate of games, a look at the standings for the four play-in teams:

TEAM	W	L	WIN%	GB	CONF	DIV	HOME	ROAD	OT	LAST 10	STREAK
7 Minnesota Timberwolves	46	35	.568	17.5	32-20	12-4	26-14	20-21	2-1	5-5	W 1
8 LA Clippers	40	40	.500	23	24-26	8-7	23-16	17-24	0-4	4-6	W 3
9 New Orleans Pelicans	36	44	.450	27	25-25	6-9	19-21	17-23	1-2	7-3	W 2
10 San Antonio Spurs	34	46	.425	29	24-26	6-9	16-24	18-22	1-3	7-3	L 1

A Spurs’ loss to either the Golden State Warriors on Saturday or the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday will lock in the final two seeds, with San Antonio taking the 10th seed and the Pelicans sitting ninth. A Pelicans’ win over the Grizzlies on Saturday or over the Warriors on Sunday will also lock in the 9-10 matchup.

The winner of the Clippers-Timberwolves play-in matchup on Tuesday will go on to face the second-place Memphis Grizzlies in the first round of the playoffs.

The loser of that game will take on Wednesday’s winner of the 9-10 play-in matchup for the right to play the Suns in the first round.

The Suns tip off against the Utah Jazz on Friday night at 6:30 p.m. Tune to 98.7 FM Arizona’s Sports Station.

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