Phoenix Suns schedule released for 8-game seeding resumption
Jun 26, 2020, 4:32 PM | Updated: Jul 1, 2020, 7:02 am
Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker dunks over Dallas Mavericks forward Kristaps Porzingis (6) during the second half of an NBA basketball game Friday, Nov. 29, 2019, in Phoenix. The Mavericks won 120-113. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)
(AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)
The NBA on Friday released the eight-game resumption of the 2019-20 season for the Phoenix Suns, laying out their path for what would need to be a miraculous push to earn a postseason spot.
The Suns kick off the schedule with the Washington Wizards on July 31 at 1 p.m. and wraps up on Aug. 13.
Phoenix enters the 22-team bubble at Disney World with a 26-39 record and was the last team in the Western Conference standings allowed into the restart of a season that’s been disrupted by the coronavirus pandemic.
Five of the Suns’ seven games tip off before 2 p.m.
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The Suns are 6.0 games back of the No. 8 seed Memphis Grizzlies.
Whichever teams sit eighth in their conference following the eight seeding games must be 4.0 games ahead of the No. 9 seed to automatically make the 16-team postseason. If the eighth seeds are within 4.0 games of the next team in the conference standings, then they would enter a play-in tournament with the No. 9 seed.
In such a play-in tournament, the No. 9 seed is out with a single loss while the No. 8 seed must suffer two losses to lose the final qualifying spot and not make the playoffs.
The problem for the Suns is that, on top of the 6.5-game gap between them and the Grizzlies, there are four other teams in between them who are also chasing the final playoff spot.
Teams’ schedule were based off the next eight teams they played on the schedule prior to the pause in mid-March, with the order being swapped around to balance out the league-wide schedule. Teams not invited to Orlando were skipped.
The NBA and its players union announced Friday morning that they agreed the seeding games would tip off on July 30.
Phoenix Suns 2019-20 TV schedule for seeding games
| Date | Time | Opponent | TV |
|---|---|---|---|
| July 31 | 1:00 p.m. | Washington Wizards (24-40) | FOX Sports Arizona |
| Aug. 2 | 6:00 p.m. | Dallas Mavericks (40-27) | FOX Sports Arizona |
| Aug. 4 | 1:00 p.m. | Los Angeles Clippers (44-20) | NBA TV / FOX Sports Arizona |
| Aug. 6 | 1:00 p.m. | Indiana Pacers (39-26) | FOX Sports Arizona |
| Aug. 8 | 4:30 p.m. | Miami Heat (41-24) | FOX Sports Arizona |
| Aug. 10 | 11:30 a.m. | Oklahoma City Thunder (40-24) | FOX Sports Arizona |
| Aug. 11 | 1:30 p.m. | Phildelphia 76ers (39-26) | FOX Sports Arizona |
| Aug. 13 | TBD | Dallas Mavericks (40-27) | TBD |
