How Suns Will or Won't Advance in NBA In-Season Tournament
The Phoenix Suns are a virtual lock to be the Western Conference wild card in the inaugural NBA in-season tournament.
Devin Booker's banked-in three pointer in the waning seconds of the 110-89 victory against the Memphis Grizzlies proved to be vital to the viability of the Suns advancing through to the knockout stages, as they boast a +34 point differential in four games played, while the New Orleans Pelicans are at +33.
Despite this, there is still a scenario in which Phoenix fails to advance - a far-fetched one - but still exists nonetheless.
Essentially there are two different ways that the Suns can clinch a berth in the knockout round of the tournament - if the Minnesota Timberwolves lose tonight to the Oklahoma City Thunder, or if their +34 point differential is over any of the other 3-1 squads - which seems likely to happen barring a massive blowout.
The two scenarios in which the Suns miss out on the next round are as follows.
- Sacramento beats Golden State, improving to 4-0, and Minnesota beats Oklahoma City by at least 38, meaning the Timberwolves would have at least a plus-35 point differential and claim the wild card spot.
- Golden State beats Sacramento by at least 30 and Minnesota beats Oklahoma City by at least 38. In that scenario, both the Warriors and Wolves would have at least a plus-35 point differential, and whichever team finished second in Group C would get the wild card (with a tie going to Minnesota because of its head-to-head victory).
If the Suns were to advance, who would be their opponent?
The Suns would make a visit to the number one seed for the quarterfinal matchup - which will be either the Los Angeles Lakers or Sacramento Kings.
The Lakers having dominant wins over the Memphis Grizzlies, Utah Jazz, and Portland Trail Blazers give them the upper hand, going into tonight with a +74 point differential in four games.
The Kings sit at +29 through three games. They must beat the Golden State Warriors by 46 points to clinch the top seed and force the Suns to make a trip to the Golden One Center in Sacramento.
A potential Suns-Lakers quarterfinal matchup is exactly what the NBA envisioned when conceptualizing the in-season tournament: dynamic star duos, two of the biggest brands in the NBA currently, a rivalry that has spanned decades - it is sure to be a great matchup both product and TV ratings wise - if it is to happen.
