NBA Standings Update: Where Blazers, Clippers, Suns, Warriors Rank in West Playoffs

The Portland Trail Blazers are in a dog fight for their spot in the Western Conference Play-In Tournament.

Going into the final nine games of the season, the Blazers find themselves in ninth place, but they are right on the heels of the Los Angeles Clippers, who hold the No. 8 spot by the slimmest of margins. Here's a look at where each team sits with only a handful of games to go.

Remaining Notable Games: at Hornets, vs. Rockets, at Lakers

The Phoenix Suns appear to be a lock for the No. 7 seed. They find themselves 3.5 games behind the Houston Rockets for No. 6 and three games ahead of No. 8.

Devin Booker has bounced back this season in a big way thanks to his new supporting cast with Dillon Brooks and Jalen Green. While both of them have struggled to stay healthy at times, the Suns could have all three available when the playoffs begin.

There is a decent cushion between them and the other teams in the league and they should be the favorites to win their first game and lock up the No. 7 seed.

Remaining Notable Games: vs. Trail Blazers, at Trail Blazers, vs. Warriors

It should be a battle for the No. 8 seed between the Clips and Blazers, who will meet twice between now and the end of the season with one meeting in Los Angeles and Portland. This could also line up as the final game of the Play-In Tournament, which will decide who gets the final spot in the postseason.

The team that wins the regular season meetings should get the opportunity to host the game, which could be the deciding factor in who wins or loses in the playoffs. It's also important because the team that finishes higher will have two chances to win a playoff spot as opposed to one.

The Blazers should want to do everything in their power to be in this spot. Beating the Clippers twice before the season ends should help them achieve that goal.

Remaining Notable Games: at Clippers, at Nuggets, vs. Clippers

It's a tough road coming up for the Blazers, who play four of their last six games against teams projected to be in the playoff field. A pair of those games are against the Clippers, which are easily their two biggest games of the stretch. They also face the Denver Nuggets and San Antonio Spurs on the road, which could be chalked up as losses on paper.

Portland Trail Blazers forward Deni Avdija dribbles the basketball during the second half against LA Clippers guard Kris Dunn. | Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images

The message for the Blazers is quite simple: win as many games as you possibly can. Ultimately, the Blazers have to make sure they win the ones that count in the tournament, but getting that No. 8 seed could hold a lot of weight in the long run.

The Blazers have been playing well against some of the rebuilding teams in the league, but they will have to raise their game against their playoff opponents. The Clippers will be a tough team because they bring a lot more playoff experience to the table than the Blazers, but that is probably the top team they will need to beat in order to get to the playoffs.

Remaining Notable Games: at Nuggets, vs. Rockets, at Clippers

The Warriors are beginning to fade from the field as a result of their numerous injuries, headlined by Jimmy Butler's torn ACL and Stephen Curry's own knee injury.

There is potential for Curry to return before the end of the season, which could make them a much more difficult team to beat in a playoff setting. Curry has the most playoff experience out of anyone in the Play-In Tournament, so no team should want the smoke.

That being said, the Warriors have fallen from grace and were above .500 after the All-Star Break, but that is no longer the case. The Warriors are getting close to accepting their fate as the No. 10 seed, which will require two road victories to advance to the playoffs.