Jamal Crawford Wants To Be On Phoenix Suns?

NBA Playoff Picture: Phoenix Suns Move Back Into Eighth Seed

The Phoenix Suns are suddenly back in the eighth spot thanks to their own persistence, winning seven of their ten games in April to charge back over .500 at 32-29. The Suns managed to make it back to the top eight after a thorough thumping of the Portland Trailblazers last night, putting them in a tie with the sinking Houston Rockets. Houston has lost four in a row (two straight defeats to Denver, including one of those losses coming to Phoenix), and they also sit at 32-29, but lose the tiebreaker against Phoenix.

The Suns do not have an easy road to stay in that eighth seed. The Rockets and Jazz (only a half game back) are in the ninth and tenth positions, and they figure to go hard for that spot the Suns currently claim. Phoenix also has to face Oklahoma City, the L.A. Clippers, Denver, Utah and San Antonio. That's a pretty brutal stretch to try and get back to the playoffs.

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Suns Top Blazers 125-107: The Postscript

So here are the Suns, at 32-29 with a feeling of controlling there own destiny for the playoffs -- they have four of their remaining five regular-season games at home.

Phoenix officially took one team out of the equation Monday night -- the Blazers. Portland will miss the postseason after a disappointing campaign.

The schedule for the Suns isn't exactly favorable, with four potential playoff teams to play in Oklahoma City (already in), the Los Angeles Clippers (in), Denver (likely in) and San Antonio (in). And then there is scrappy Utah, which won't go away though they are on the outside looking in for the eighth spot currently held by the Suns thanks to a tiebreaker over Houston.

"It was a win that we needed. One that we had to have," Suns coach Alvin Gentry said. The Suns shot a season-best 60 percent from the field, the first 60-percent game since November 25, 2009 against Memphis. Their starters made 34 of 50 shots, without Grant Hill in the lineup.

The road is toughest for the Suns, because the Rockets have home games against Golden State and New Orleans (both with nothing to play for) and road games at Dallas, New Orleans and Miami, and the Heat are already in from the East.

"Playing at a pace that we like to play at," guard Shannon Brown said. "When we do, there's really not to many teams that can stick with us offensively."

Forward Jared Dudley said the team played unselfish.

"People had us for dead beginning of the season, middle of the season, All-Star break," he said. "And we've worked out butts off, we've played through it, guys have learned their roles and I think we're ready to do it."

Players expect the playoff race to come down to the wire.

"It's gonna be tough for every (team)," Steve Nash said. "It should be exciting."

Nash (sore hip) got some much-needed rest after playing just 27 minutes, 25 seconds and dishing out 13 assists.

"We struggle when he's not healthy," Gentry said. But Nash should be healthier this week, and the Suns will be bolstered by the return of Hill from a knee problem.

Suns Light Up Listless Blazers 125-107, Take Over No. 8 Spot

Dare this writer use this space to call for Phoenix Suns fans to pack the US Airways Center down the stretch of the regular season? Not as a cheerleader but purely as a basketball fan. While Monday's effort from the Suns in a 125-107 win over the all-but-eliminated-from-playoff-contention Portland Trail Blazers was necessary and well, expected, the home crowd left something to be desired.

Let's just say there was a lot of purple in the house, and not people dressed as the seats in the building. The Arizona Diamondbacks were playing next door, but there season just began. The Suns are playing for something meaningful, something at which not many figured they had a shot.

Four home games of the Suns' final five of the regular season remain, and Phoenix ended the night tied for the eighth and final playoff spot with the Houston Rockets -- though technically ahead via a better conference record tiebreaker -- after Houston fell to the Denver Nuggets earlier Monday.

The Suns took care of their business, hitting 60 percent of their shots (51-for-85) and featuring six players in double figures led by Marcin Gortat with 20 points and 10 rebounds.

Jared Dudley added 18, Shannon Brown (starting in place of the injured Grant Hill) 16, Markieff Morris 14 and Sebastian Telfair 12.

The Suns led by as many as 23 points in the second half and coasted to easy victory. Morris soared in for a dunk with 11:17 left in the fourth quarter to give Phoenix a 101-80 lead, and a Telfair bucket made it 105-82.

Phoenix (32-29) led by as many 15 points in the first half, shooting a sizzling 60 percent from the field. Four players were already in double figures at halftime with the Suns leading 66-53.

The Blazers trailed 43-40 with 6:38 to go in the second quarter on a basket by Nolan Smith from Jamal Crawford. But the Suns answered that with a 6-0 run and built their lead to 61-49 after Shannon Brown soared in for a dunk down the lane.

Gortat, who scored 15 of his points in the first half, set a pick that freed Brown for the jam.

The Blazers, at 28-34 on the brink of playoff elimination, looked dispirited and ready to pack it in for the season often during the game. The Suns, in need of a lot more production out of forward Channing Frye, who'd offered little in recent games, got 19 points on 8 of 11 shooting for the veteran.

Frye didn't score Saturday at San Antonio.

The blowout win allowed Gentry to give some rest to his starters, another potential advantage down the stretch with the playoffs in reach.

Suns coach Alvin Gentry said before the game that winning was not a must. Well, the Suns shot the ball like it was a must-win game for them, and the Blazers capitulated with little fight.

The Suns were once 12-19. They're 11-2 at home since the All-Star break, the best record in the Western Conference.

Suns vs. Blazers: Portland Missing Felton, Possibly Batum

Suns coach Alvin Gentry said F Grant Hill won't play against Portland, but G Steve Nash will.

"It makes sense for us not to push the envelope," Gentry said of Hill.

Gentry also said he refuses to call Monday night's game a must-win game. "I think it sends the wrong message to your team," he said.

For the Blazers, coach Kaleb Canales said G Raymond Felton won't play, though he is with the team, and Jonny Flynn will start at the point. Also, F Nicolas Batum (quad injury) will go through his pregame routine to see if he can play, but if he is ruled out, Luke Babbitt will get the start.

UPDATE: Batum ruled out.

Phoenix Suns Vs. Portland Trail Blazers: TV Schedule, Lineups And Making Up Ground

Guess what? This is an important game for the Phoenix Suns. If you need to understand why, read this. If you need to understand why, you haven't been paying attention for the last two weeks. If you need to understand why, you wouldn't be reading this preview of the Suns (31-29) vs. the Portland Trail Blazers (tanking).

To get a feel for how bad things are in Rip City, read this from the Blazersedge preview:

Portland Trail Blazers vs. Phoenix Suns Preview - Blazer's Edge
In case you've been under a rock (or baking on top of one in Phoenix) "everything else" includes LaMarcus Aldridge being out for the remainder of the year undergoing hip surgery, guards not playing defense, guards not getting back in transition, guards committing turnovers, a clueless second unit (particularly on defense), lack of team rebounding, lack of talent and/or stamina at the big positions, extreme over-reliance on deep jumpers, not much adherence to any kind of game plan, rampant ball-hoggery, and the sinking feeling that there's nothing left to play for this year. Plus Portland point guard Raymond Felton, the only thing resembling an NBA playmaker on staff, will not play tonight.

On the injury front, Steve Nash reported feeling much better (hip) and should be good to go. Grant Hill (knee) is a game-time decision. He landed wrong on his recently surgically fixed knee in his last game and could be held out to help him be ready for Kevin Durant on Wednesday.

For the Blazers, the injury list is too long, but here's the projected lineups.

Projected Lineups:

• Point guard: Steve Nash --- Jonny Flynn (who couldn't play in Houston)
  
• Shooting guard: Shannon Brown -- Wesley Matthews
  
• Small forward: Jared Dudley -- Nic Batum (may not play)
  
• Power forward: Channing Frye -- J.J. Hickson (waived by the Kings)
  
• Center: Marcin Gortat -- Joel Przybilla (still playing?)
• Key subs: Suns (Sebastian Telfair, Robin Lopez, Michael Redd). Blazers (Jamal Crawford, Luke Babbitt, Nolan Smith)
  

The Suns game tips off at 7:00 p.m. Arizona time and will be televised on Fox Sports Arizona. You can catch the radio broadcast on Arizona Sports 620. Bright Side of the Sun will have the live game thread.

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Suns Schedule 2012: Phoenix Returns Home For Playoff Race

The Suns have four games at US Airways Center this week, including showdowns with the Thunder and Nuggets.