Suns’ second chance noted
Despite Tuesday’s loss to Portland, Phoenix still holds a lifeline with another Play‑In opportunity on Friday, April 17, and ticket listings confirm Phoenix remains alive. The scheduling gives the Suns a do‑over to extend their season after the elimination scare (sports.yahoo.com) (usatoday.com).
Phoenix lost 114-110 to Portland on Tuesday, April 14, but the Suns are still scheduled to play again on Friday, April 17, for the Western Conference’s last playoff berth. (nba.com) The National Basketball Association’s official schedule lists a Western Conference Play-In game at 7 p.m. Pacific time on Friday, April 17, with the winner earning the No. 8 seed. A USA Today ticket listing published Wednesday says Phoenix will host that game. (nba.com) (usatoday.com) Portland took the No. 7 seed by beating Phoenix behind 41 points from Deni Avdija, according to Yahoo Sports and the National Basketball Association’s postseason schedule. The league’s bracket then moved the Trail Blazers into a first-round series against the No. 2 seed San Antonio Spurs. (sports.yahoo.com) (nba.com) The Play-In format gives teams that finish seventh or eighth in the regular-season standings two chances to reach the playoffs. Under the league’s rules, the loser of the 7-versus-8 game stays alive and gets one more game for the No. 8 seed. (nba.com) Teams that finish ninth or 10th do not get that cushion. In the same format explainer, the National Basketball Association says the 9-versus-10 game is an elimination game, and the winner then meets the 7-versus-8 loser for the final spot. (nba.com) That is why Tuesday’s loss did not end Phoenix’s season. The Suns entered the tournament as the West’s No. 8 team, while Portland was No. 7, so Phoenix dropped into the final Play-In game instead of out of the bracket. (nba.com) (usatoday.com) The opponent was not yet filled in on the league schedule Wednesday because the other Western Play-In game was set for later that night. The National Basketball Association listed Golden State against the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday, April 15, with the loser eliminated. (nba.com) (usatoday.com) The calendar is tight. The National Basketball Association says the Play-In Tournament runs from April 14 through April 17, and the first round of the playoffs starts Saturday, April 18. (nba.com) So Phoenix’s path is narrow but unchanged: one home game Friday, one win needed, and one playoff seed still unclaimed. (usatoday.com) (nba.com)
