No matter if they make the playoffs or not, their games have massive impact on the standings.
With a heavy schedule against the Western Conference to start the month, the outcome of Phoenix Suns games is felt by their opponents and the rest of the teams fighting for playoff and play-in positioning.
Currently, the West playoff race is split into four groups. The first is the Oklahoma City Thunder, who are 12 games ahead of the two-seeded Los Angeles Lakers for first in the Conference; they’re likely to run away with the first seed and potentially have the best overall record in the NBA, depending on how the Cleveland Cavaliers perform the rest of the way.
The next section is the teams battling for the two through five seeds. The Lakers, Nuggets, Grizzlies, and Rockets have all spent their fair share of time in the two spot. Of late, it’s been mostly dominated by the Denver Nuggets and the Lakers. LeBron James is expected to be sidelined for at least a week, which could impact the race for the two spots.
Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James is expected to miss at least 1-to-2 weeks with a groin strain, sources tell ESPN. James will wait for the groin injury to calm down over the next 24 hours and receive another evaluation. pic.twitter.com/17mWxsaXN3
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) March 9, 2025
The third section is the teams fighting for the last spot to avoid the play-in. The Golden State Warriors, Minnesota Timberwolves, Los Angeles Clippers, and Sacramento Kings are battling for the final spot.
The Dubs have been one of the hottest teams since acquiring Jimmy Butler at the deadline and have been in firm control of the sixth spot for some time now. Out of all the teams most likely to change tiers, the Warriors remain the most likely because they own the tiebreaker with Houston and are just three games back and are arguably their best ball of the season.
The group where the Suns fall is the fourth one; the two teams are battling for the last play-in spot, which is a tight race between Phoenix and the Dallas Mavericks. The Suns just beat the Mavs on Sunday, clinching a season series win and putting them one-and-a-half games behind them in the standings after it. They’re currently 2.5 out after Dallas’s win and Phoenix’s loss last night.
Not controlling their first-round pick, the Suns have no incentive to tank the rest of the season. While they haven’t beaten many of the top teams, the Valley has enough firepower to be a threat to win a one-off matchup against any of them. Starting March 2nd and ending the 17th, Phoenix’s schedule only includes teams in the two through four tiers of the Western Conference playoff race.
Their win comeback against the Clippers last week and the Grizzlies’ comeback last night against them are not just impacting Phoenix’s playoff hopes, but also shaping their opponents as well.
Photo by Justin Ford/Getty Images
Instead of being in eighth, if the Clippers had handled their business last week in Arizona, they’d be tied for seventh. If Memphis didn’t storm back from down 25-9, they’d be fifth and not positioned to host a playoff series in the first round.
Whether Phoenix ends up in the Play-in or Playoffs or doesn’t participate in either, their games during this stretch will have a strong impact on the standings in the West.
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