3 dark horse teams that could make the postseason as playoff push begins ft. San Antonio Spurs 

The NBA season will enter its second phase on Wednesday as the regular season resumes after the All-Star weekend. Teams in and around the Play-In spots will be in overdrive as the playoff push will be a huge factor in dictating performances.

While the likes of the Cleveland Cavaliers and Oklahoma City Thunder have already performed well enough to surely qualify for the postseason, certain teams that were touted for playoff places have underperformed so far. However, with the second half of the season just beginning certain teams can still make a playoff push and make an appearance in the post-season.

The San Antonio Spurs is one such team as their roster and recent performances suggest they can qualify for the next phase of the NBA season. Victor Wembanyama and Co. currently sit outside the Play-In spots but aren't far behind the Los Angeles Clippers, who currently hold the final automatic playoff spot.

With the lottery teams having already been decided in both conferences here's a closer look at three dark horses who could qualify for the playoffs if they can string a good run of results in the second half of the season.

3 dark horse teams that could make the postseason

#1. San Antonio Spurs

The San Antonio Spurs will start the second half of the season in twelfth place in the Western Conference as the team continues to build its roster around Victor Wembanyama.

Their acquisition of De'Aaron Fox during the trade window was a significant move, made even better because they did not have to trade away Stephon Castle as part of the deal. The young gun continued his meteoric rise during the All-Star weekend as he was awarded the Rising Stars MVP trophy.

However, the team currently has a 23-29 record and is seven games behind the LA Clippers who are sixth in the Western Conference standings. A realistic approach would be to enter the playoffs through the Play-In spots as they are 4.5 games behind the Golden State Warriors who are currently in 10th place.

While they are poised to make the play-in spots the Spurs cannot repeat their form from early February as they lost five of their eight games during that period.

#2/ Philadelphia 76ers

The 76ers have been one of the most disappointing teams this season as the Pennsylvania team had a horrific start to the season where they lost 14 of their first 17 games. This slow start hurt their post-season dreams despite the acquisition of Paul George and the re-signing of Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey during the off-season.

Injuries have significantly contributed to the poor performance of the 76ers this season. Reigning MVP Joel Embiid has been unable to play in back-to-back games and has only made 17 starts so far.

Additionally, players such as Paul George, Eric Gordon, Andre Drummond and Tyrese Maxey have all dealt with injuries at various points throughout the season. Rookie Jarred McCain, who began the season strongly, has also been ruled out for the remainder of the year due to injury. This highlights the challenging situation the 76ers are currently facing.

A strong performance in the second half of the season could help the team secure a playoff spot. They are currently 1.5 games behind the Bulls, who are in 10th place, and 8.5 games behind the Pistons, who hold the final automatic playoff position. While the 76ers are still capable of making the playoffs their current form sees them with five back-to-back losses and they will need to change that soon if they are to make it to the playoffs.

#3. Phoenix Suns

Starting out as one of the favorites to qualify and reach the playoffs, the Phoenix Suns were in top spot for the first few weeks before a dramatic downfall saw the team exit the Play-In spots by January. Currently in 11th place, the Suns are a playoff-caliber team and could still qualify for the postseason if they can muster up consistent performances after the All-Star break.

The combination of Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal should be sufficient for the Suns to reach the playoffs. However, injuries to both "KD" and Beal have placed a heavy burden of expectations on Booker.

Despite their struggles, the Suns remain a team to watch, as they have the talent to make a deep playoff run. For this to happen, they need to qualify for the playoffs first, which is a challenging task considering they are currently five games behind the LA Clippers.

Similar to the Spurs, the Phoenix Suns are realistically aiming to enter the playoffs through the Play-In tournament. They are currently 1.5 games behind the Golden State Warriors, who hold the 10th place, making them a more attainable target than securing an automatic playoff spot.

The Western Conference is highly competitive at the moment, with the Mavericks, Warriors, and Kings all currently in Play-In positions. For the Suns to qualify, they will need to achieve a significant winning streak, which may be challenging given their congested schedule.

Which dark horse team do you think will make the playoffs this season? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.