Denver's remaining schedule (current record: 40-33)
at Philly
at Toronto
at OKC
vs Milwaukee
vs Indy
vs Minnesota
at LA Clippers
vs Portland
at Minnesota
They are going to lose at least 2 of their next 3 on the road. And probably at least 3 out of their final 5 on the road overall because they are a bad road team. Their home schedule isn't much friendlier either. I see them going to go 4-5 or 5-4 over the final 9. 44-38 or 45-37 is not going to threaten for a playoff spot. They would need another team to totally collapse.
Clippers remaining schedule (current record: 39-34)
vs Milwaukee
at Phoenix
at Portland
vs Indy
vs San Antonio
at Utah
vs Denver
vs New Orleans
vs LA Lakers
7 of their final 9 are against playoff teams. They are probably going to have to go 7-2 or 8-1 to have a realistic chance to make it. I see every playoff team in the west having 46+ wins.
I think that the top 8 teams right now are the 8 teams who make the playoffs in the west. The current 3-8 seeds in the west only have to get to 46 wins to force Denver and LAC to put up unlikely records to have a slim chance. Portland is 1 win from 46, OKC 2, NO and SA 3, and Utah and Minny 4. All of those teams should hit that win total rather easily.