Suns Know They Still Control Destiny

The Phoenix Suns can win the rest of the way and stay out of the play-in tournament.

Apr 7, 2024; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Phoenix Suns guard Bradley Beal (3) reacts after scoring / Allan Henry-USA TODAY Sports

PHOENIX -- The Phoenix Suns are 46-32 approaching their final four games of the 2023-24 regular season, and though the Suns haven't quite lived up to expectations, Phoenix knows a strong finish can work wonders for their postseason momentum.

The Suns currently hold possession of the West's No. 6 spot, teetering the line of watching the play-in tournament from home or being participants themselves.

With back-to-back matchups against the Los Angeles Clippers followed by road games against the Sacramento Kings and Minnesota Timberwolves, the Suns face a daunting schedule to finish the regular season.

Plenty can happen in the final week, though the Suns know if they take care of business, they'll at worst have the sixth spot in the West and won't have to rely on anybody else for help.

The star-studded Suns have to be ready, says Bradley Beal.

“I have been a part of the plan before in my career. It is a little nerve-wracking, but it is just another game. You show up and if it’s a double elimination or single elimination, we have to make it work. At the same time, we control our destiny," Beal said on the pressures of battling for a postseason spot.

"We just have to go out there and compete and take it one game and one day at a time and get better every day. We have a playoff series coming up and if we are not locked in, it can get really ugly for us. We have a tough team Tuesday. We just have to get ready to go."

The Western Conference has all top ten teams locked into postseason spots, and now it's all about positioning. Phoenix is four games removed from the Clippers' No. 4 spot, and they'd need quite the stretch at this point in time to somehow end up in position to host home court advantage in a postseason series.

The No. 8-seeded Kings and No. 1-seeded Wolves have their own jockeying to do in the standings as the regular season expires. Phoenix will get everyone's best punch, though Kevin Durant says the Suns solely need to focus on themselves rather than the standings.

“It is hard not to look at them. Everybody talks about it every day. When you open your phone, it is everywhere. Every game is important to everybody now, it is do or die for everybody at this time. Watching, or spectating, it is hard not to see it. It is about every possession and focusing on that. Knowing you can’t control too much, just try to focus on us," Durant said.

The Suns host their regular season home finale tonight against Los Angeles.