The NBA playoff race is heating up in the second half of the season, with 10 teams vying for eight spots in the Western Conference and at least 10 teams vying for eight spots in the Eastern Conference.
Unless the San Antonio Spurs or Dallas Mavericks slip up in the coming weeks, it appears that three teams are competing for the eighth spot in the West--the Phoenix Suns, currently in eighth, the New Orleans Pelicans, and the Oklahoma City Thunder.
The Thunder got a win against the Pelicans on Wednesday night, pulling within 2.5 games of the Suns. The Pelicans loss pushed them back to 1.5 games behind Phoenix. That will change soon as the Suns take on the Trail Blazers on Thursday night, and the Pelicans and Thunder play again tomorrow night.
The other big story in the West is the middle of the pack. Golden State and Memphis appear to have cemented their place atop the standings, and barring major injuries will likely stay in the top four for the duration.
