It seems that in the past few season, the Phoenix Suns have known well in advance of the playoffs who their first round opponent would be. Such is not the case this season.
The current standings show the Suns with the 6th seed where they are slated to play the San Antonio Spurs. But there are still several games left and the Lakers, Hornets and Spurs are all within 1.5 games of each other. Any one of them could move to the 3rd seed before the season is over.
On the other hand, the Suns are a game behind the Houston Rockets. The Rockets have two games left against the Jazz and the Clippers. Phoenix plays Monday against Golden State and Wednesday against Portland. In order to take over the 5th seed, the Suns will need to win both of their games and wait for Houston to lose both of theirs. Because the Rockets have a better conference record than the Suns, they will take the tie breaker if the teams have the same record (they played to a 2-2 tie in their four games this season).
We've already discussed who we think the Suns would match up with the best so I don't think that would be a good discussion again. We've also already talked about whether you think the Suns starters should rest or keep playing these last couple of games. And until we know who our opponent is going to be, it doesn't do any good to talk potential matchups.
So I thought I would change it up a bit and maybe get some Suns-watching plans started. What do you guys do during playoff games? Do you like to get a huge group together at someone's house, go all-out with the food and watch the games? Or do you watch the game by yourself so no one sees you cry if the Suns happen to lose?
The past several years I would be traveling during the playoffs so I ended up watching the games in a hotel room with a room service meal scattered in front of me. I would order a few extra rolls so I would have something to throw at the wall when I disagreed with a call. Last year, during the game 5 loss I started banging the back of my head against the wall as the Suns' lead slowly slipped away in the last few minutes. I tried not to yell too loudly when watching games at the hotel but I'm sure the people in the rooms next to me thought I was a little nuts.
Let me know what you guys do during the playoffs and maybe it will give some of the other readers good ideas for what they can do as well.
Comments
iLoveTheSuns - t.dot
haha i happen to be someone who loves to both watch the games alone or with a group of friends. last year for example, i did both. BUT, during that game 5 against the spurs, i watched it on my own...and man..it was not pretty. i pretty much started yelling and all kinds of stuff. it just sucked. my mom just knew not to come in and ask whats going on because she knows how i can be when it comes to suns games. hahah. but well this year, no matter who our opponent may be, suns will go at em hard!! I do love watching with a group of friends tho..sometimes it's not pretty though because we like different teams. BUT if we face the spurs, no matter which round, our GROUPP of friends will definitely be booing the spurs all the way because uh..no one likes the spurs >=)
Matt - England
i live in the UK so we get about 6 games a year, however i will be staying up to watch the nba.com broadcast and listen to the game live, i cannot do anything to boost the support in the arena but if everyone who cant reach the game can send in the support via the blog comments it will give our team huge support,
GO SUNS! IM ROOTING FOR YOU ACROSS THE SEA!
Stan - California
I have my Lazyboy Chair and 3 others for friends if they happen to drop by. But who needs distractions when your watching a good game. I'm pretty much jumping around and making some noise during the game. I hate a game with alot of calls by the refs. The NBA should use instant replay like the NFL does. Allow the coach's 2 disagreements per quarter to let them review some of the refs bad calls. It's worth the extra few minutes to have the game be called error free. I know most that watch's football don't mind an extra break to review and correct a bad call.
Garrett - Minnesota
I live in Minnesota so it's rare to find someone even remotely close to my obsession with the Suns (moved here from Phoenix 10 years ago). However, anyone who likes the NBA usually likes the Suns because they are fun to watch. With that said, I still refuse to watch the Suns game with friends just because of how animate and ridiculous I get. Throwing things? Screaming? Breaking invaluable things and punching inanimate objects? Please, these are just the norm in a playoff game. The only person I can maybe watch a game with is my brother who's almost as bad, haha.
Kenny - Phoenix
I have a small metal basketball rim with backboard (nerf size but more realistic) that i put on the wall in my living room... It helps to keep the agression down during bad calls and it's a hit when friends come over to watch the game (a little 2 vs 2 living room shoot out.. Let me tell you the last season or so I have become a real sharpshooter from about 15 feet. (the backboard and the B-Balls are all suns logo'd)
Madz Victor - Manila, Philippines
I live in Manila, Philippines. We are 12 hrs advance from US time. I'm working in one government office, so most probably, if the playoffs games schedules is on week days, then i cant watch it live. During the regular season, I'm just relying to nba.com or espn.com scoreboards then if the suns won, then I went home early so that I could catch its reply, but if they loss, then I just ignored it as nothing happen. The reality is that, its hard to accept if your team loss. Like last friday game against Rockets. You know folks, my whole weekends didnt work good for that loss. I do hope the whole suns (coahing staff and players) will be awared of this. You disappointed a lot of your fans! Hope it will not happen in the playoffs! Having said that, I'm still one of your big FAN! GO SUNS! perish them all in the playoffs then eradicate who ever spread viruses in the east!
John S. - Surprise AZ
I watch the Suns with my wife, daughter, son in law, grandsons, and granddaughter, all true die hards. Everyone has their Suns jersey's on. We cook out and the food is great, the yelling loud, and hopefully no one throws a bottle threw the big screen when a call goes against us. ( I have been restrained many times). I hope we play the Spurs first, and give them every ounce of agony we had to go through last year when the suspensions took our title away. It would be true justice to eliminate them in the first round. GO SUNS!!!!
peter lopez - Paranaque City, Philippines
Just as my countryman said, the working man misses the games live, since espn.com & nba.com has its live scoreboard they are the only links I have while in the office. But just the same, its all good as long as the Suns win 15 games this playoffs, I don't mind watching it on re-runs in the evening manila time.Kabayan mabuhay ka, Madz Victor! great to have orange blooded, dyed in the wool PHX fans in the 'Pines. We are a rare breed here in the islands. If we are to have a Suns fans club in the country, I move to nominate Mr. Victor as the President.
Ophelia Shelton - Phoenix,AZ,USA
Let's play anyone but the Spurs please!!! At least not in the 1st Round. They still own us in play-off scenarios even with Shaq, Tim Duncan and the rest especially that kid from Argentina can readily destroy our summer plans!!!
I'd rather face the Jazz in a 4-5 pairing than the defending NBA Champs!!!
CHANCE - South Korea
With the time difference here, I'm usually forced to watch the games at the school where I teach English. Headphones allow me to watch and listen discretely, but the Korean teachers do give me some funny looks when I've got to muffle my shouts with hand over mouth. And it's really hard to explain why I'm wearing a number 13 jersey under my suit! That's the price I'll pay for this year's playoffs.
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