Can the Phoenix Suns MOVE UP Out Of The Play-In?

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Can the Phoenix Sun still make it into home court?

Advantage to the Western Conference playoffs.

They definitely have some ways to go in the standings.

We're here to give you a little update here

on an audio-only edition of PHNX.

Suns, of course, hit that 5-star review button.

Since you are listening on audio,

we appreciate all of our audio listeners.

Look, right now, where the Sun stand in the standings,

they are down there at the seventh seed.

They're going to be two games back from the Timberwolves.

The time is recording.

The Timberwolves are up 20 on the Warriors.

It's eventually going to be a two-game lead for them.

And then it goes nuggets, lakers, rockets, all ahead of them.

But all within striking distance, the rockets who are the three seed

are only two and a half games above the Suns.

This is going to be a very tight end of the regular season.

Steven, when you look at the rockets coming up

who just picked up a big win against the New Orleans Pelicans,

do they have a favorable schedule ahead?

Might they fall to her soon?

Well, after again, the time of this recording

got the game winner against the Pelicans from Kevin Durant,

as you mentioned, or against the Pelicans.

I did not mention the Kevin Durant part.

Okay.

Anyway, we have two games for the rockets

going in the next week against the lakers.

Very relevant to the standings for where they are,

as well as in respect to where the Suns are.

And then they're also playing that Atlanta Hawks

and the Miami Heat to end a home swing.

Then they go on the road to play,

or they also play the Heat one more time as well in that mix.

Before going on the road to play the Bulls,

the Timberwolves, the Grizzlies,

the Pelicans in New Orleans,

and coming back home to play the Nicks

to end their March Slate of Games.

So based off of those teams,

you have the Nicks, you have the Timberwolves,

you have the Heat, you have the Hawks,

and then two games with the lakers.

Those lakers can be huge.

And for the Playoff teams,

a few teams in particular,

and that three to seven room in the West,

definitely some heavy hitting games

that are going to matter

and have implications on the standing.

As far as the lakers go,

they have the same record as the rockets, right?

So they're sitting there in the fourth seat.

Two games coming up against the rockets.

That could determine whether or not L.A.

Not only wins a Pacific division,

they keep on stacking wins,

but if they can get up to the third seat here.

Well, I mean, you look at Saturday,

which is recording this Friday night,

you're listening to it on Saturday.

They play the nuggets at home.

So one way or another,

the sons are going to gain a half game

on a team that's ahead of them on Saturday,

just in this game.

You can debate who you want it to be.

Eileen Lakers,

because you own the tiebreaker against the Lakers,

so every game they drop is helpful.

And then, as Stephen mentioned,

there's the two Monday and Wednesday in Houston

against the Lakers.

Again, I'm of the mindset.

I'd much rather the Lakers lose those games

and the rockets win,

because you own the tiebreaker against the Lakers.

So if you get three losses in a row from the Lakers,

and you can figure out a way to maybe get that win

against Boston as the sons

and maybe Minnesota, all of a sudden,

things start looking really interesting there.

But anyway, you shape it here

in those three games that the Lakers have.

It's good for you,

because you're gaining ground on somebody

that's ahead of you in those three games,

whether it's the nuggets,

Lakers, or rockets.

Then they play Miami next Thursday on the road

and Orlando on the road

and Detroit on the road.

The following Monday to kind of wrap up

the next week,

those are a lot of loosable games for the Lakers.

You have a lot of opportunity

to make some ground on them,

and you still have one against them

that you can gain a whole game

in later in April.

I believe it's April 10th to wrap up the season

for the sons.

There's a lot of opportunity here

when it comes against the Lakers.

I think this is a season defining week

for the Lakers, Gil.

If the sons are able to find a way to pass

the Lakers in the Pacific Division standings

and win the Pacific Division,

that's more important than people think.

Very important.

I think that for that reason,

if you are having your hate watch guide,

I think the Lakers always should be at the top of it.

But especially,

especially right now,

because in the event

that there is a multiple team tiebreaker

where, let's say, the sons and the Lakers

and the nuggets

and the Timber rules all finish with the same record,

the tiebreaker goes to the Division Champion.

So, in that sense,

it doesn't matter what happens between that head to head

with the sons and the nuggets or the sons and the Rockets.

Because Rockets are going to finish second

in their division behind the Spurs

and the nuggets or Timber rules are going to finish

behind the Thunder

in their respective division.

So, if the sons can get to the top of the Pacific Division,

that gives them a lot of leverage against those teams

in a situation where they're tied with a team

that they weren't able to get the best of head to head.

So, essentially, if there's a three-way tie,

you really want it to involve the Lakers.

Exactly.

It's automatically win the Division

and then will automatically be ahead of whoever else is in that.

Exactly.

So, really, a three-way tie

with the Lakers at the end of this year is a huge win.

Absolutely.

100%.

That Roy Sonil buzzer beater.

As I've always said,

the most important shot of the season.

With the nuggets though,

they don't just have a game up against the Lakers coming up.

They do have, obviously,

some more games left in the schedule favorable for Dan.

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You know, it's interesting what Denver's got coming up.

They are L.A. as Espo talked to or spoke to already.

And they'll be here about a week's time on March 24th.

But when I look at their schedule,

after the Lakers, they host the 76ers.

Then they go to Memphis for a one-off on the road.

They play Toronto at home.

They play Portland at home.

All that before coming to Phoenix.

But what stands out most in the big picture of this nugget schedule?

10 of their last 15 games right home.

So that is a very advantageous look for the Nuggets.

They're only going no more road trips.

They're all playing one-offs on the road.

They do play this first, twice more.

They play the Thunder in the second and last game in the season.

But by that time,

seating might be handled by now.

So you really have to help yourself when you have this head to head

with the Nuggets on the 24th.

And then you got to hope that these teams who are desperate

like the Trailblazers, Raptors.

Sixers who are going to be shorthanded can give them some type of work

because their other games are.

They play a jazz two more times.

They play the Mavericks.

They play the Grizzlies two more times.

So the Nuggets are sitting pretty, pretty, pretty,

honestly at this point.

I think you're done on your chances to catch Denver with the schedule

that they get come.

That's why I think you need them to beat the Lakers on Saturday.

That is a huge thing that you need them to do.

At Denver, out of all the teams we're talking about today,

including the Suns,

have the worst record in their last 10, their 5 and 5.

And by the way, they have a lot less road games.

They're 23 and 13 on the road this year.

They are 18 and 13 at home.

So they still have a good record, the same amount of losses.

But in less games.

So I do wonder that home court advantage that's going to come more back

to light.

And then obviously you have a team.

The Suns are going to be playing here very shortly in the Minnesota

Timberwolves.

They are currently up on the Golden State Warriors by nearly 20 points

going into the fourth quarter.

So barring some miraculous comeback,

the Minnesota Timberwolves will have a full two-game lead

and be tied with the Denver Nuggets over the Phoenix Suns

for the sixth seed as the Suns sit in the seventh seed.

Now obviously you have that matchup against Phoenix coming up here on March 17th.

That's big.

Before that, the Thunder on Sunday,

they are on the road against Oklahoma City.

Now the Timberwolves have played OKC well a couple of times this year.

But at the end of the day,

you look at the Thunder and you would say that's usually going to be a loss

especially with Shayback.

Hopefully that is something that the Suns can gain a half a game on

if they go and they beat Boston on Monday.

And then Minnesota loses to OKC on Sunday.

After that, Utah and Portland.

So one tanking team and other team in play in contention with Portland,

but you would assume those are two wins for Minnesota.

Then they're on the road against Boston.

Then they're at home against Houston.

And then at home against Detroit.

That is a three-game stretch for the Minnesota Timberwolves.

That's going to be absolutely critical.

Not only because they're close to Houston in the standings,

but you're taking on two of the best teams in the Eastern Conference.

Then you're on the road against Dallas.

Boom, you're back playing Detroit again.

Then on the road against Philly at home against Charlotte.

And then at Indiana.

So that's a little bit easier.

Then you end the season at Orlando at Houston.

And then at home against New Orleans.

So some very big games against Houston coming up.

Who the Timberwolves played twice before the end of the year when it comes to seating.

And then they take on Detroit twice,

which might be a godsend for the Suns

as they are probably going to be battling for that same position.

But of course, it all comes down to Tuesday, March 17th.

The Suns hold the season series over the Timberwolves.

You want to pick up a big win against them on this road trip.

The reality is if you can tie the Lakers or Minnesota here in the next week,

you just have to play even.

Anytime they win, you win, anytime they lose, you can lose a game.

Essentially tie them and then keep pace.

They've been matched.

Yeah, that's the whole ball game right now.

Yeah.

Is find a way to tie them in the next week or so.

And then just anything they do, you do.

That's what you have to do.

And the most encouragement I found as we broke down all these teams

respective schedules is that they play each other.

So you're playing to have the benefits.

These teams beating up on one another and what it comes down to at that point.

Look yourself in the mirror.

Take care of your own business.

Win your games.

And everything else, not everything else.

But a lot of everything else is going to sort itself out, but just go win.

Yeah.

That fixes half the battle if not more.

Yeah, that's why some of these losses, Steven,

hurt because you don't control your own destiny.

Now you got to hope everybody else gives you a little help.

Yeah, you want to make sure you take care of the head to heads in particular.

And I think that Tuesday game against Minnesota coming up on the 17th.

It's going to be a adversity field.

That's probably the closest to playoff implications that they'll get up until

they get to going up against like Denver and other teams like that a little bit later on after next week.

But that game you're coming in off of back to back.

Minnesota is going to have a day off because they only play play on Sunday against Oklahoma City.

Granted, that is a role game for them.

Not too far of a leap from Oklahoma City back to Minnesota.

So there's going to be a lot of adversity you're working up against.

But you don't have a choice after losing today's game.

But to go and get the job done regardless of what happens on Monday.

All right, let's give a little treat for audio only listeners here.

So we wrap up this pH and X sun standings edition.

I want you guys to tell me.

No, we're not going to sing.

Well, you can sing your answer, Espo.

I just want to simple yes or no.

Are the sons the sixth seed or above when the season is over?

We'll start with you, Stephen.

Yep.

You want to sing it?

Oh, yeah.

You want to sing it?

Yes.

Yes, you want to sing?

The answer is yes.

I was going to hit you with a B leaf, but that's all I got for you.

I like that.

I like that.

I also think so too, which is kind of funny because they've been sitting in that seven seed

from a big majority of the season.

Yeah.

Honestly, I think I'm saying it because I really don't want to face the red hot clippers.

Yeah.

One in a one game decides who's seven seed in the playoff situation.

Yeah.

I think I'm hoping as much as I'm buying in that they're definitely called manifestation.

And that's what we hope to see.

And obviously we'll be around for all of it.

If you just listen on audio, it's awesome.

We appreciate you.

Again, five star ratings and reviews.

But you are missing pre games and watch along for every single game.

Of course, you get the post game shows here.

So make sure you're also subscribed to our YouTube channel as well.

We will talk to you all again very soon.

Keep your eyes out tomorrow for another little audio episode out for you on a Sunday talking

Mark Williams and Dylan Brooks.

And when they might return from injury.

So again, keep your eyes out for that.

We'll talk to you all again very soon.

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