Suns to play at ‘Madhouse on McDowell’ if NBA season returns

The Phoenix Suns plan to play the rest of the 2019-20 home schedule at the Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum if the NBA regular season resumes, the Suns said in a team memo.

The move to the “Madhouse on McDowell” would allow for the Suns to resume the $230 million renovations on Talking Stick Resort Arena.

Veterans Memorial Coliseum will already be prepped for professional basketball, as the Phoenix Mercury were scheduled to move into the Suns’ old home for the 2020 season due to the arena renovations.

The NBA franchise last played at The Madhouse on McDowell on May 11, 1992, while facing the Portland Trail Blazers in the playoffs.

The Suns had six regular season games left on the schedule before the NBA season was postponed on March 11 amid coronavirus precautions. Phoenix was set to host Minnesota, Dallas, Chicago, Cleveland, Utah and the Los Angeles Lakers.

The $230 million-plus project to update Talking Stick Resort Arena was expected to go full-bore the day after the season ended, be it April 15 at the end of the regular season or after the last playoff game had the Suns made a run into contention.

The team was already involved in demo work and outside upgrades to their home with the expectation that 70% of the arena will be upgraded by the 2020-21 season that starts this October.

The Suns’ practice facility located on 44th Street and Camelback Road was previously expected to be up and running by summertime.

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