Barring a complete collapse by the Brooklyn Nets in the Eastern Conference, the only real playoff race will take place in the West, where six teams are still alive in an open hunt for the eighth seed.
The Memphis Grizzlies have held the conference’s final playoff spot ever since a seven-game win streak in early January helped them knock the San Antonio Spurs from the perch. But a brutal forthcoming schedule, a rotation-shaking trade and injuries to a pair of key young players threaten to keep Rookie of the Year favorite Ja Morant from a shocking playoff berth in his first season.