NBA playoffs: Viewer's guide to Western Conference race - USA Today - USA TODAY

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New Orleans Pelicans forward Anthony Davis (23) shoots over Oklahoma City Thunder center Steven Adams (12) during the second half at the Smoothie King Center.(Photo: Derick E. Hingle, USA TODAY Sports)

You have to feel for the scouts at the top of the Western Conference.

With nine days to go in the NBA regular season, there are seven Western Conference teams separated by four losses vying for five playoff spots. Playoff prep work doesn't get much tougher than this.

It's a rare sort of NBA chaos, with only Houston (62-15) and Golden State (56-21) having locked up seeds and third-place Portland (48-29) safe – barring a late collapse.

The Trail Blazers have a three-game lead on fourth-place San Antonio with five games to go, and a Saturday road game at the Spurs looms large because it will establish the tiebreaker. Then again, maybe the Kawhi Leonard-less Spurs falter and find themselves out of the playoff picture for the first time since 1997.

Confused yet? We're just getting started.

Here's a detailed look at this wild West landscape

San Antonio (45-32), 4th

Games remaining: at Clippers on Tuesday; at Lakers on Wednesday; vs. Portland on Saturday; vs. Sacramento on April 9; at New Orleans on April 11.

Outlook: It remains unclear if Leonard (quadriceps tendinopathy) will play again this season, but the Spurs have won eight of their last 10 games. They last missed the postseason in 1996-97 when David Robinson (back and foot injuries) played just six games. But San Antonio's 20-62 record helped it land Tim Duncan in that year's draft.

Tiebreakers: The Spurs have it against Oklahoma City, Minnesota and the Clippers, but don't have it against Utah. The tiebreakers against New Orleans and Denver are undetermined. 

Oklahoma City (45-33), 5th

Games remaining: vs. Golden State on Tuesday; at Houston on Saturday; at Miami on April 9; vs. Memphis on April 11.

Outlook: The bad news for Russell Westbrook's Thunder? With Paul George's free agency this summer hanging over their heads, they picked a terrible time to lose four of their last six games. The good news? They got that much closer to a possible first-round matchup with the ailing Warriors, who aren't expected to have two-time MVP Steph Curry until the second round because of his MCL injury and would rely heavily on Kevin Durant in his absence. It's safe to assume that Westbrook would love nothing more than kicking the defending champs and his former co-star while they're down.

Kevin Durant, left, stands next to Russell Westbrook during the first half of their game. (Photo: Marcio Jose Sanchez, AP)

Tiebreakers: The Thunder have the tiebreaker against Utah and the Clippers, but don't have it against Minnesota, New Orleans, and Denver. The tiebreaker against San Antonio is undetermined.

Utah (44-33), 6th

Games remaining: vs. Lakers on Tuesday; vs. Clippers on Thursday; at Lakers on Sunday; vs. Golden State on April 10; at Portland on April 11.

Outlook: First-round foes don't get much more dangerous than these Jazz, who have the league's second-best record since Jan. 24 (25-5, behind Houston's 29-3) and the top net rating (11.6, ahead of the Rockets' 10.6, per NBA.com/stats).

Tiebreakers: The Jazz have it against San Antonio, New Orleans and the Clippers, but don't have it against Oklahoma City and Minnesota. The tiebreaker against Denver is undetermined.

Minnesota (44-34), 7th

Games remaining: at Denver on Thursday; at Lakers on Friday; vs. Memphis on April 9; vs. Denver on April 11.

Outlook: The Timberwolves are trying to end the league's longest playoff drought, as they haven't been in the postseason since 2004. If only they could get four-time All-Star Jimmy Butler back.

The Wolves star has been out since tearing his meniscus on Feb. 23, but – according to a person with knowledge of the situation – planned to take part in five-on-five action for the first time on Monday. It remains unclear when Butler will be back, but Minnesota – which has gone 8-8 in his absence – needs him in a major way. The person spoke to USA TODAY Sports on the condition of anonymity because Butler's practice session wasn't publicized.

Tiebreakers: The Timberwolves have it against Oklahoma City, Utah, New Orleans and the Clippers, but don't have it against San Antonio. The tiebreaker against Denver is undetermined.

New Orleans (43-34), 8th

Games remaining: vs. Memphis on Wednesday; at Phoenix on Friday; at Golden State on Saturday; at Clippers on April 9; vs. San Antonio on April 11.

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Outlook: From a four-game winning streak to the current four-game losing streak, the Pelicans – who are 17-13 since losing DeMarcus Cousins for the season to an Achilles tendon tear on Jan. 26 – are playing with fire again. And considering the omnipresent question of Anthony Davis' happiness level and the reality that New Orleans has been in the playoffs just once in his five seasons, it would behoove them to finish this job.

Tiebreakers: The Pelicans have the tiebreaker against Oklahoma City, but don't have it against Utah, Minnesota, and Denver. The tiebreakers against San Antonio and the Clippers are not determined.

Denver (42-35), 9th

Games remaining: vs. Indiana on Tuesday; vs. Minnesota on Thursday; at Clippers on Saturday; vs. Portland on April 9; at Minnesota on April 11.

Outlook: The Nuggets, fresh off overtime wins against Oklahoma City and Milwaukee, refuse to give up on this playoff mission after missing the cut last season by just one game. Still, their spirit and synergy at this late juncture should bode well for the future of third-year coach Mike Malone.

Tiebreakers: The Nuggets have the tiebreaker against Oklahoma City and New Orleans, but don't have it against the Clippers. The tiebreakers against San Antonio, Utah, and Minnesota have not been determined.

Clippers (41-36), 10th

Games remaining: vs. San Antonio on Tuesday; at Utah on Thursday; vs. Denver on Saturday; vs. New Orleans on April 9; vs. Lakers on April 11.

Outlook: The post-Blake Griffin Clippers have lost seven of their last 11 games, and look like the favorite to fall out of contention here.

Tiebreakers: The Clippers have the tiebreaker against Denver, but don't have it against Oklahoma City, Utah, San Antonio and Minnesota. The tiebreaker against New Orleans has not been determined.

Follow USA TODAY Sports' Sam Amick on Twitter @Sam_Amick

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