The Suns became the first of this year’s 16 playoff teams to be eliminated from the postseason, falling at home on Monday as the defending champion Thunder completed a four-game sweep. It was the third straight conference quarterfinal sweep for Oklahoma City, according to Tim MacMahon of ESPN, who notes that the team is 12-0 in first-round games under head coach Mark Daigneault.
How should the Suns feel about their season? As Doug Haller of The Athletic writes, the team lost momentum in the second half, posting a record of 16-23 after February 1 (including play-in and playoff games). However, injuries played a part in that slide, and Phoenix’s performance in the first three months of the season far exceeded outside expectations for the club entering the fall. The Suns’ over/under was set at 31.5 wins and they finished 45-37.
“We were counted out,” forward Dillon Brooks said on Monday. “We were supposed to be a laughing-stock, losing team. And we proved a lot of people wrong.”
The general consensus among Suns players and coaches is that their 2025/26 performance represents a positive first step, with head coach Jordan Ott suggesting his team “should be proud” of what it accomplished, per Haller. Still, after Phoenix needed two games to advance through the play-in tournament and then didn’t register a win in the playoffs, star guard Devin Booker was disappointed the club couldn’t do a little more this spring.
“We exceeded everybody else’s expectation, but not ours,” he said.
Here’s more on the Suns:
- Ott earned praise from Suns players after Monday’s loss for the work he did and the foundation he set in Phoenix during his first year on the job, per Shane Young of Suns.com (Twitter link). “This is a building block to some stability and chemistry,” Booker said. “Something that’s been needed around here.”
- Booker didn’t score more than 24 points in any of the four playoff games vs. Oklahoma City and made just 5-of-20 (25.0%) of his three-pointers. While scoring against the Thunder’s league-best defense is no easy task, Haller of The Athletic notes that Booker no longer seems as capable of flipping the “alpha switch” as he once was, while Gerald Bourget of Suns After Dark evaluates the upside of Phoenix’s roster as long as the veteran guard is their leading man.
- After signing a one-year, minimum-salary contract to remain in Phoenix last offseason, guard Collin Gillespie enjoyed a breakout year, with career highs in points (12.7), assists (4.6), and rebounds (4.1) per game across 80 appearances (58 starts). Gillespie’s confidence is soaring as he prepares to reenter free agency, he told Logan Stanley of The Arizona Republic. “I learned a lot. I learned that I can play at a high level and that I belong,” Gillespie said. “I learned a lot, especially here in the playoffs, about championship-level stuff, playing a really good basketball team — the details in that.” Gillespie added that he hopes to remain with the Suns and said he and the team have had “good conversations” about that possibility.
- Besides negotiating a new deal with Gillespie, the Suns will also have to see if they can re-sign guard Jordan Goodwin and center Mark Williams, ESPN’s Bobby Marks writes within a preview of the team’s upcoming offseason. Brooks will also be entering the final year of his current contract and will be eligible to sign an extension that could be worth up to a maximum of $125.4MM over four seasons.
- A discrimination lawsuit filed against the Suns by former security employee Gene Traylor has been dismissed with prejudice. Baxter Holmes of ESPN has the story.
Exactly why I did not care if the warriors lose to the Suns in the play in game. OKC is just too good to get knocked off in the first round. The bench is deep and can survive any injury. warriors would have been swept just like the Suns. OKC and Spurs will be in the WCF.
True, there’s a big difference between facing a Rockets team in the 1st rd and OKC with their patented ref help. SGA avgd 12.25 ftas/gm vs the Suns and made an avg of 11 of them.
He avgd 33.75 ppg, so he gets ~ one third of his scoring from free throws.
Bro Laker shoot just as many free throws. Y’all gotta stop this. The rockets aren’t good. They wouldhave gotten swept by OKC and San Antonio. Only true contenders in the west are OKC, San Antonio and one of Denver/ Minny. With injuries wolves are pretty much done. Denver won’t match up well with OKC.
In the East. New York can come out the east but will lose 4-1 to OKC. Boston could come out the east but they might lose 4-2 to OKC.
OKC, San Antonio, Boston, new York are the 4 teams.
Orlando probably loses to new York although new York could give 1 or 2 games away and lose the series.
I was talking to arc about GSW beating the Rockets as the 7 seed last season compared to if they had ended up playing OKC as the 8 seed.
OKC has avgd 24.75 ftas/gm (99 total ftas) with Shai leading the playoffs in both ftas and ftm. The Lakers (as usual) have shot more, but without the 8 they shot in OT in the Rockets’ meltdown loss it would have been the exact same 99 total free throws.
The Spurs should beat OKC as long as no one gets hurt. What’s yout prediction vs the east if they make the Finals?
Not sure about San Antonio. They are young. It will be a good series but have OKC in 6.
I agree SGA does get about 3 foul baiting FT a game and can’t stand That but he has a complete gain and I think that’s what are people miss. In the NBA you have to have a mid-range jumpshot that’s what wins championships or a post-up game. Just attacking the basket or shooting threes is either going to have you up and down during a series or hurt hurt like Ant-Man. Until he listens to MJ and post-op and shoot mid-range jump shots, he will never win a championship.
Curry, LeBron, SGA Joker All have a combination of mid-range jump shots or posting up. LeBron Post up that’s why the Lakers are out playing the rockets. It causes the defense to shift. Therefore getting players open jump shots that normally wouldn’t be there. And it’s why he’s able to play at 41. Same with Curry the off ball and mid range game extends the superstar’s careers to where they can play at a highlight level.
For the East I want to say New York but you never know. The have to be the dumbest and lowest IQ team for the talent they have. They seem to give away one or two games in a series and if a team is able to win two game they will lose.
Boston, I just feel like they’re missing one piece but if I had to place a bet (What you would be a fool to bet on the NBA basketball) I would say New York but probably by a very slim margin over Boston
I think Boston comes out of the East, and if Wemby’s healthy the Spurs beat OKC as they did in the reg season.
OKC or Spurs are the only teams capable of winning against the NBA refs. SGA is averaging 15 flops per game. Nobody can compete with that.
Buying is just a troll who likes to hate on the Rockets. “They suck” yea a team who wins over 50 games sucks. Try missing 2 big pieces (FVV and Adams)
I actually love the rockets my guy. What I am is real. The moment they didn’t sign or trade to a point guard in the middle of the season completely eliminated them from winning a championship. They playoff sucks. And I don’t know how many times we have to say this just because you have a great regular season does not make you a contender.
Asked you actually knew basketball and watched their style of play. Then you would know Houston and the Pistons were regular season teens and worked in able to compete in the playoffs. Al said this 5000 times All season and you called him a troll. And no, some of us actually know some basketball. Especially me seeing how I made a ton of money playing. We’re watching styles not record
Agree
Both Lakers and Rockets are lucky. They would have swept by Blazers or other teams
OKC is also helped by patented fan paranoia and unproven conspiracy theory foolishness. Small market team doing well is exactly the money folks at the network and league offices want. Even better if there are 4 game sweeps to further decrease TV revenues. Right!
Warriors were not healthy enough to get pass OKC they would have had the same fate as the Suns. OKC is almost 100% healthy so with their bench that is as good as some teams starters its a up hill climb to built them in a 7 game series. As for teh Spurs i was one of the only ones here said they would be a top 4 team this year.
I know you’re a warrior’s fan nobody’s saying the warriors would have done well right away season. That’s not what I was addressing. I was only addressing the point that that Okc only wins because of Free throws
Okc only wins on free throws ? Tell me you don’t watch basketball while you’re at it. Okc is STACKED it’s that simple. They are a tier if not 2 above EVERY other NBA team it’s really that simple.
Did you not read my last five posts?. That’s exactly what I just said that they’re not just winning because of free throws. They’re actually a good team. If you go up top and read I explain why. SGA will win multiple championships. I’m not going to repeat it again
OKC wins because they are a deep team and plays great defense.
That’s what I am saying in mo post. Why are y’all arguing when we’re saying the samething
So glad this team is led by Spartans! No better recipe for success in this league.
Hoops Rumors really needs a sarcasm font.
All things considered an excellent year for them. Good experience to play the thunder in the playoffs. See what level it takes to be the best. I am very curious to see how this team improves in the offseason. I think there will be several trades involving Phx this offseason.
Phoenix had a great season by standards of competition. Team still is in limbo with a few bad contracts still on the table, but I think they are ahead in the right direction. Not sure how much longer Booker will stay patient though.
Not compared to their cap. According to their cap they should have been a contender
Fair enough but considering they got some valuable production from guys who weren’t making extremely outrageous money, I consider it a success.
At least the Suns will have the same head coach for two seasons in a row when Jordan Ott returns. Devin Booker had had four head coaches in the last four seasons (Williams, Vogel, Budenholzer, Ott).