Bismack Biyombo airballs a free throw
Last season, the Phoenix Suns built on the momentum gained in the bubble. Narrowly, the Suns were invited into the bubble to conclude the NBA’s 2020 regular season. They played the final eight games, but barely missed the playoffs. The 2020 offseason saw the Suns retool, adding Chris Paul to the roster, and pairing him with Devin Booker made a powerful duo. CP3 and Devin Booker did in one season what Paul’s Clippers couldn’t do in six years.
The Phoenix Suns made their first playoff appearance, in eleven years, in 2021. Earning the second seed, the Suns upset the defending champion Lakers. Despite being a much-higher seed, the Suns were underdogs against a Lakers squad that started the season 21-7, led by LeBron James. In the end, the Suns would defeat Paul’s former team, the Clippers on their way to the NBA Finals. After going up 2-0, at home, they’d lose the next four games to the Milwaukee Bucks. In Game 6, Giannis dropped 50 points on the Suns, winning Finals MVP.
Two wins short of the title, the Phoenix Suns did minor retooling. Quietly, they have held the NBA’s best record for most of the season. Impressively, they are ahead of the Golden State Warriors, who quickly returned to the top of the league, this season. Last night, the Suns got an important win over the Utah Jazz, another one of the West’s top four teams. While the Suns got the win, Bismack Biyombo, their 2022 free agent signing, airballed a free throw.
