Can the Suns avoid the play-in?

The Phoenix Suns have regrouped around the Big Three of Devin Booker, Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal and expect to be atop the Western Conference standings this regular season. Instead, first-year coach Frank Vogel's team entered the final week of the 2023-24 season hoping to avoid the play-in tournament.

After a 4-1 start to its daunting final 10 games, Phoenix fell to New Orleans on Sunday, giving both teams a record of 46-32. The Suns are in a head-to-head tiebreaker against the Pelicans, but New Orleans has the edge based on Tuesday's slate of games.

The Pelicans beat the weak Portland Trail Blazers, while the Suns fell behind by 37 points to lose to the Los Angeles Clippers – without Kawhi Leonard or James Harden – 105-92.

The Suns are in play-in position with three games to go.

The Mavericks eliminated the Houston Rockets with a win on Sunday and defeated the Charlotte Hornets on Tuesday, giving Dallas a sense of security in their first five games against New Orleans.

The Suns face the Clippers again on Wednesday before closing out the year against the Sacramento Kings and Minnesota Timberwolves, all of which are played on the road. New Orleans also plays three teams in the top 10 in the Kings, Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Lakers.

Here's a look at the teams that currently have an impact on the Western Conference playoffs with the Suns' next game on Tuesday against the Clippers. The next day the two teams play against each other again.

Where do the Phoenix Suns rank in the NBA's Western Conference playoff standings?

Follow @AZSports