Kevin Durant scored 30 points but couldn’t lead the Phoenix Suns to another victory. The veteran power forward and Devin Booker are fighting hard to keep the team’s playoff hopes alive.
However, as the tail end of the season approaches, the Suns will have to pull up their socks to have a shot at the postseason.
Devin Booker and Kevin Durant Can Take the Suns to the Playoffs
After their 102-132 loss against the Boston Celtics on Wednesday, March 26, the Suns’ four-game winning streak has been snapped. With a 35-38 record, they’re 11th in the Western Conference and out of the play-in tournament range.
Another contender for the final play-in bid, the Dallas Mavericks, had been suffering worse than them, with injuries and an unbalanced roster hindering their chances. But have begun to secure victories.
The Mavericks registered a thundering 101-92 victory over the Orlando Magic on Thursday and have gotten back from their loss and restarted their winning streak.
The Suns’ offensive output of 114.4 points per game ranks 14th league-wide, while their defense, allowing 115.9 points, is 22nd. To get to a playoff spot, they will need to outperform their future opponents and their own standards so far.
The great respite for Phoenix is that they have no more back-to-back games in their final 9 remaining games this season. This will help Mike Budenholzer focus on each opponent as they come. The Suns will play four of their upcoming games at their home court. However, for their next opponents, they will be on the road to face off against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday, March 28.
Durant and Booker’s performances over the next week will determine whether the Suns fight for the final playoff spot or can even climb up to the No. 8 spot, requiring only one win to get in the playoffs. However, the Suns are 4 games out from the eighth seed and 0.5 back from the tenth seed.
The Mavericks have made their lives harder than it already was. The Suns cannot afford to make any more mistakes this season or they will not even get a shot at the postseason.
Regardless, fans are in for a thrilling ride and want to see their team reach the playoff stage.
Bradley Beal Could Be a Hindrance for Durant, Booker, and the Suns
The Suns wanted to trade Bradley Beal ahead of the NBA’s trade deadline but could not do so due to the no-trade clause in the shooting guard’s contract. However, keeping him around is proving to be more expensive than the $110 million they’ll have to pay him over two years.
As shared by Forbes NBA contributor Evan Sidery on X, the Suns have overperformed when Beal is not on the court this season. As of March 28, before its game against Minnesota, Phoenix ranked in the top 12 in offensive rating (116.2) and defensive rating (112.5) without Beal.
The Suns are a great team this year when Bradley Beal isn’t on the court:
116.2 OffRtg (7th)
112.5 DefRtg (12th)
+3.7 NetRtg (9th)Phoenix also holds a 10-3 record, a 63-win pace, when Kevin Durant and Devin Booker play together without Beal. pic.twitter.com/JqtOs82dJH
— Evan Sidery (@esidery) March 20, 2025
After the game against the Cavaliers, the Bucks, and the Celtics the stats back this claim even more. The Suns have improved their offensive rating to 121.1 without Beal on the court.
Beal injured his hamstring against the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday, March 16, and was expected to be out for at least a week.