We are coming down the stretch of a thrilling Phoenix Suns 2020-21 season. The Suns currently hold a 48-20 record after going 2-2 last week, including a big home win over the playoff-bound Knicks and an overtime outburst to close out a victory at Cleveland.
The Suns are already guaranteed to play postseason basketball for the first time since 2010, clinching a top-4 seed and home court advantage for at least the first round of the playoffs.
The No. 1 seed in the Western Conference is still within reach, as Phoenix enters Monday two games behind Utah and with the tiebreaker after sweeping the Jazz 3-0 in the regular season. As the Suns fight for positioning and a Pacific Division title, every single remaining game matters.
“What we have a chance to do is really special,” second-year wing Cam Johnson said recently. “We all recognize that, and we’re committed to those goals.”Each Monday through the end of the regular season, Suns.com will take a look at the week ahead to highlight where the Suns stand and why you should tune in to each matchup.
Tuesday, May 11 at Golden State
Where to tune in: Bally Sports Arizona and Bally Sports appSuns Live! Pregame show: 6:30 p.m. Arizona timeTip-off: 7 p.m. Arizona timeSuns Live! Postgame show immediately following gameThree reasons to tune in:1. Two MVP contenders will share the floor in Chris Paul and Stephen Curry. Curry has taken his always-lethal scoring to a new level in recent weeks, dropping at least 30 points in 19 of his last 21 games (including six 40-point performances and one 53-point outing) to vault himself into the discussion for the NBA’s top individual award despite his team’s mediocre record. Paul, meanwhile, is also a candidate for the honor based on his elite playmaking, clutch scoring and leadership impact on the resurgent Suns.2. Despite the offensive firepower on both sides, the Warriors and Suns rank fifth and sixth in the league, respectively, in defensive efficiency. Phoenix’s Mikal Bridges is vying for his first All-Defense selection (and would surely get a late-season boost if he shuts down Curry) while Golden State’s Draymond Green has been one of the NBA’s savviest on that end of the floor for years.3. With a win against the Warriors along with a Clippers loss to Toronto that same night, the Suns would clinch their first Pacific Division title since 2006-07 and seventh all-time in franchise history.
On the broadcast:Arizona State football coach Herm Edwards, a former ESPN broadcaster, will join Tom Leander and Tom Chambers on the Suns Live! pregame show.
Thursday, May 13 vs. Portland
Where to tune in: Bally Sports Arizona and Bally Sports appSuns Live! Pregame show: 6:30 p.m. Arizona timeTip-off: 7 p.m. Arizona timeSuns Live! Postgame show immediately following game
Three reasons to tune in:
1. The Suns will go for the regular-season sweep against a Trail Blazers team that Phoenix could see again shortly as its first-round playoff opponent. Portland has won seven of its last eight games to rise to sixth in the West, but is just one game ahead of the seventh-place Lakers and will be fighting to avoid the play-in tournament.2. The matchup between Booker and Damian Lillard, two dynamic backcourt scorers who have deep respect for one another. Remember: After Lillard sustained an injury just before the 2020 All-Star game, he lobbied for for Booker to take his place in the main event.3. This is an interesting frontcourt matchup, with Deandre Ayton going against the physical Jusuf Nurkic and Enes Kanter. Kanter is a rebounding machine but struggles defending the pick and roll, a hallmark of the Suns’ offense with Paul and Ayton on the floor.On the broadcast:Channing Frye, the former Sun and Arizona and Valley high-school star and current TNT broadcaster, will join Tom Leander and Tom Chambers on the Suns Live! pregame show.
Saturday, May 15 and Sunday, May 16 at San Antonio
Where to tune in: Bally Sports Arizona and Bally Sports appSuns Live! Pregame show: 30 minutes before tipoff Arizona time (both games)Tip-off: TBD Arizona time (both games)Suns Live! Postgame show immediately following game (both games)Three reasons to tune in:1. Both teams still could have plenty to play for during the regular season’s final two games. Shifts in the standings over the course of the week could make the No. 1 seed even more coveted for Phoenix, while San Antonio is fighting off New Orleans for the final spot in the play-in tournament. Entering Monday, the Spurs are 1.5 games ahead of the Pelicans and still must play Milwaukee, at Brooklyn and at New York before their doubleheader against Phoenix.2. At the very least, the Suns will aim to atone for an uncharacteristically poor performance in a 111-85 home loss to San Antonio on April 17. A shorthanded Spurs team was anchored by Rudy Gay (19 points, five rebounds, two blocks) and Drew Eubanks (13 points, 13 rebounds) in that game, while the Suns shot just 6-of-27 from 3. 3. The Suns will conclude the regular season with a back-to-back against the same team, a scheduling quirk the NBA implemented this season to limit travel during the pandemic. This provides playoff preparation in its own way, as players and coaches will be able to make and immediately apply adjustments from the first game to the second.On the broadcast:Former Spurs and Arizona star Sean Elliot will join Tom Leander and Tom Chambers on the May 15 Suns Live! pregame show, while former Sun and Spur Boris Diaw will join Tom and Tom the following night.