Suns lose play‑in game
The Phoenix Suns blew a late double‑digit lead and lost their play‑in game to the Portland Trail Blazers, ending their postseason hopes. Coverage described the result as a collapse after Phoenix had been up by double digits, and the NBA playoff brackets were confirmed following the play‑in outcomes. (si.com) (espn.com)
Phoenix’s season ended Tuesday night with a 114-110 home loss to Portland in the Western Conference play-in tournament. (espn.com) The Suns were 45-37 in the regular season and hosted the game as the West’s No. 7 seed, but Portland erased an 11-point fourth-quarter deficit at Footprint Center. Deni Avdija scored 41 points for the Trail Blazers and converted a go-ahead three-point play with 16.1 seconds left. (nbcsports.com) Phoenix led 106-95 early in the fourth quarter before Portland closed on a 19-4 run. Fox Sports’ play-by-play shows the Trail Blazers did not retake the lead until the 1:54 mark, when they went ahead 107-106. (foxsports.com) The play-in tournament decides the National Basketball Association’s No. 7 and No. 8 playoff seeds in each conference. Tuesday’s result sent Portland straight into the West’s No. 7 slot, while Phoenix dropped into an elimination game for the No. 8 seed. (nba.com) That format gave the Suns a second chance, but it also turned a late collapse into a direct hit on their postseason path. Instead of opening a first-round series on April 18, Phoenix now has to survive one more play-in game to stay alive. (nba.com) Portland entered at 42-40 and on the road, but advanced by winning the 7-versus-8 matchup. NBA.com’s bracket lists the Trail Blazers as the confirmed No. 7 seed in the Western Conference after the result. (nba.com) The loss also locked Phoenix into the most fragile spot in the bracket: one game left, with no margin for another late swing. After leading by double digits in the fourth quarter, the Suns left the floor without the playoff berth they were 12 minutes from securing. (si.com)
