Phoenix is in danger of entering the Play-In and their star players Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal have spoken about the pressure the team is facing.
The Pelicans, Lakers or Kings could sneak into the Playoffs if they win the majority of their remaining games.
While the Suns could easily slip in the standings, especially considering the team’s remaining games are against the Clippers, Kings and Timberwolves.
Phoenix lost an important game against New Orleans on Sunday – who now have the exact same record and win percentage as the Suns.
“It’s hard not to look at [the standings],” Suns forward Kevin Durant said after the 113-105 loss to NOLA. “…Every game is important to everybody now, it is do or die for everybody at this time. Watching, or spectating, it’s hard not to see it.”
Durant’s co-star Bradley Beal spoke about how the team is handling the expectation of staying out of the Play-In.
“It is a little nerve-wracking, but it is just another game,” Beal said. “You show up and if it’s a double elimination or single elimination, we have to make it work.”
After signing Beal and trying to create a Big Three, Phoenix were expected to make a deep playoff run this season.
Beal knows the importance of performing well at this crucial stage of the season.
“We just have to go out there and compete and take it one game and one day at a time and get better every day,” said Beal. “We have a playoff series coming up and if we are not locked in, it can get really ugly for us. We have a tough team [the Clippers] Tuesday. We just have to get ready to go.”
The 30-year-old’s production has been way down due to injuries and a drop in form this season, which has led to NBA analyst Bill Simmons recently questioning the Suns’ Big Three status.
“The word big three has been thrown around just way too liberally over the past twelve years,” Simmons said on The Bill Simmons Show. “That is not a big three, Beal does not deserve big three status the way he’s played this year. I think he’s at a different point in his career, I just haven’t been that impressed,” Simmons said on the April 8 edition of The Bill Simmons Podcast.
Simmons added, “I don’t think they have a lot of depth, I don’t see it.”
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