The Phoenix Suns are 38-41, and will need to win all three games left in the season to avoid finishing below .500 for the first time since 2003-04. They will face the Dallas Mavericks (54-25) on Sunday in their last road game of the season.
The Mavericks, meanwhile, will be be fighting to improve their playoff positioning. The Mavs are currently one game behind the L.A. Lakers for the number two seed in the West and one game ahead of the fourth-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder.
Steve Nash missed Friday's game against the New Orleans Hornets with a strained right hamstring, and his status for today's game remains uncertain. The Mavericks have won all three meetings against the Suns so far this season.
The game tips at 4:30 p.m. local time on My45 and will be broadcast on Sports 620 radio. Fans can follow along during the game with other Suns fans at the live game thread at Bright Side of the Sun.
Bright Side has the full seeding breakdown for both the playoff-bound Mavs and the lottery-bound Suns:
Phoenix Suns Face Predictably-Struggling Mavs In Game With Seeding Implications - Bright Side Of The Sun
Utah is in the catbird seat for the 12th pick, holding a 2 game lead over the Suns (1 fewer win, plus the tiebreak by losing the season series), while Houston has the 14th pick locked in with a 3-game lead of their own. Considering there's only 2 or 3 games left for each team, the suspense is over.