We’re standing on the edge of a win-or-go-home game for the Phoenix Suns, and in this case, it’s a win-or-stay-home reality. This is the most important game this franchise has played in over a thousand days. The last time they were here with their backs against the wall at home was May 7, 2023. Remember? Being down 0–3 to the Minnesota Timberwolves with their season on the line? 1,076 days ago.
I think about that day. I think about how different everything feels now.
That moment was an embarrassment.
A team with expectations and a massive payroll couldn’t find a way to win a single postseason game. And the confidence going in was real. They had handled Minnesota late in the regular season twice without much issue. It felt like a favorable matchup. Then the postseason hit as it always does. It shifts everything, testing you mentally and physically. It exposes what you are. And that team failed the test. Completely. So much so that the following season, they didn’t even make the Play-In.
Which brings me to tonight. This can go a lot of different ways, and if the Phoenix Suns lose, the discourse will be loud. Hopefully, once the emotion settles, we remember how different this team and this organization are from the last time they were in this spot. Because for all the frustration that could come with a loss, this team is moving in the right direction. That’s why I’m putting this down before the game, as much for myself as anyone else.
I’m writing this on April 17 because expectations have already been exceeded. Because they’re in a position to fight for the eight seed. It would have been nice to handle business against the Portland Trail Blazers and already be in, but that’s not how this goes. Not here. Not in the Valley of the Sun. You fight for everything. And tonight, it’s a fight.
If they lose, remember what this season was. Remember the growth, identity, and direction. You can still be frustrated. You can still break down what went wrong and let it sit with you. You can even pour one out over the fact that they’d be the first seven-seed not to advance in the Play-In era.
If they win, we get more. More games and more chances to see what this team looks like under pressure. That’s valuable for a young team and a young head coach. Every postseason rep matters. The crowd, the intensity, the decisions in those moments? All of it carries weight. In a season built on evaluation and development, more games are the best outcome.
And I want those games. I’m not ready for it to end.
That’s the difference from last year. I couldn’t wait for it to be over. I remember sitting in The Backyard at Desert Ridge with friends, watching the season end against the Sacramento Kings, and feeling relief. That’s not where this is.
If they lose tonight, it will hurt because we want more Suns basketball. We want to see this group compete again. But win or lose, don’t lose sight of it. This season has been a success. The trajectory is upward. There will be time to talk about what comes next, how to build on it, and how to navigate a Western Conference that keeps getting tougher.
I’m looking forward to those conversations. I’m not ready to have them yet.
Go Suns.
