2014 NBA playoff standings: Suns back in postseason picture

The streaking Phoenix Suns are back in the eighth spot, winners of four in a row and six of their last seven. Point guard Eric Bledsoe is back in form, averaging 21.3 points, 5.3 rebounds and 4.7 assists in the past three games. The Suns have an identical record to the Dallas Mavericks, and are only half a game back of the suddenly seventh-place Memphis Grizzlies. Phoenix will face both of those teams in the season's final week.

Memphis survived a Marc Gasol injury scare -- the big man had to leave Friday's loss to the Miami Heat after spraining an ankle -- and defeated the Indiana Pacers and Minnesota Timberwolves with Gasol in the lineup in the last few days. The Grizzlies have won eight of their last 10 games, and that number could easily be nine if Gasol had been able to stay in the game in Miami.

The Timberwolves' playoff hopes are dead. They have lost three straight, and the last two have been at the hands of Memphis and the Suns. If only Minnesota was in the East. This will be six seasons ending in April for Kevin Love, and you have to feel for him.

Elsewhere, the league-best San Antonio Spurs have won 14 in a row, the gap between the top and bottom half of the West is widening -- Houston has a 3.5-game lead over the fifth-place Blazers -- and the New Orleans Pelicans have quietly won three straight and seven of their last 10.

The Indiana Pacers and Miami Heat are strangely both 5-7 in their last 12 games, trying to figure things out before the playoffs. It's looking less and less likely either of them will have home court advantage in the Finals if the Spurs or the Oklahoma City Thunder make it there.

The Toronto Raptors and Chicago Bulls' battle for the No. 3 spot is as tight as can be, and both teams will have home-and-homes against the Boston Celtics this week. The Atlanta Hawks were on a five-game winning streak last week, but have lost their last three and the New York Knicks are on their heels. New York is only 2.5 games out of the playoffs, even though their eight-game winning streak ended in disappointing fashion against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Sunday.

Those Cavaliers are five games back of the eighth-place Hawks, and with Kyrie Irving out of the lineup with a biceps injury, it's safe to say they won't make the postseason.

At the bottom of the standings, the Milwaukee Bucks have lost their last eight, the Orlando Magic their last nine and the Philadelphia 76ers their last 25. Yikes.