2. Apr. 4 — vs. Utah Jazz
A bit anticlimactic, I know. By record, this is the second-worst team the Suns face in their remaining 14 games. On the surface, it seems non-sensical to choose this team over the Golden State Warriors, Atlanta Hawks, Dallas Mavericks, Portland Trail Blazers or San Antonio Spurs — all elite teams the Suns face once or twice in the last few weeks of the season.
But since the All-Star break, the Jazz have been absolutely elite. Since trading Enes Kanter, they’ve completely terrorized opponents on the defensive end thanks to Rudy Gobert, who has so many nicknames now I can’t even keep track of them all (the Stifle Tower, the French Rejection, the Gobert Report, Gobzilla and my personal favorite that I’m going to start lobbying because I came up with it, the Gobstopper).
The Suns suffered their first loss of the season in an ass-kicking against Utah, so they need to come ready to play. This is also one of only two home games for Phoenix in April. After starting the month on the road against the Dubs, the Suns get Utah at home before a brutal four-game road trip against Atlanta, Dallas, New Orleans and San Antonio. So yeah, the Suns kind of sort of REALLY need this one.
Next: A Fateful Showdown