The Phoenix Suns have been eliminated from NBA Play-In Tournament contention following a 125-112 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday.
Earlier on Wednesday, the 10th-seeded Dallas Mavericks lost to the Los Angeles Lakers, 112-97 which kept the Suns in contention for a play-in spot.
This is the first time the Suns will miss the play-in and playoffs since the 2019-20 season.
The Suns took a step back this season after finishing sixth in the Western Conference in 2024 with then-head coach Frank Vogel. After being swept in the first round by the Minnesota Timberwolves, Vogel was fired by the Suns on May 9 after just one season with the team.
The Suns would then hire former Milwaukee Bucks head coach and Arizona native Mike Budenholzer, who signed a five-year contract with the team.
How did the Phoenix Suns miss the NBA Play-In Tournament?
Under Budenholzer, the Suns got off to a 9-2 start. However, injuries would plague the team, including to All-Star Kevin Durant who would miss the next seven games with a calf injury, in which the Suns would go 1-6 during that stretch.
Guard Bradley Beal struggled to stay on the court during the season, missing 28 games due to elbow, calf, hip, toe, knee, ankle and hamstring injuries. Beal has been in and out of the starting lineup since January when Budenholzer took him out of the starting lineup for the first time this season.
After starting 9-2, the Suns struggled to find consistency on the court throughout the season, including a brutal February where the team went 3-10.
The Suns appeared to show some signs of life during the play-in race in March with a four-game winning streak between March 17-24, including wins against the Cleveland Cavaliers and Milwaukee Bucks. However, the Suns would then lose the next eight games, including a 148-109 loss to the Houston Rockets on March 30 in which Durant would leave the game with an ankle sprain. Following the Suns’ loss to the Rockets, Durant missed the next five games due to his injury.
The Suns’ loss to the Boston Celtics on Friday marked the first time the team will finish below .500 since 2020.
