5 reasons the Phoenix Suns will beat the Miami Heat

4. Motivation will be high between milestone game and must-win situation

After some encouraging losses by the teams in front of them early in the seeding games, Friday wasn’t great in the world of Phoenix Suns scoreboard watching. The Pelicans, Spurs, and Grizzlies all won, creating an even tinier margin of error for the Phoenix Suns.

We knew this was true prior to Friday, but every game is a must-win for the Phoenix Suns. In turn, their motivation through the roof, as this must be treated as another survive-and-advance scenario. A loss on Saturday evening will create a very difficult hole in which to climb out with limited opportunities left.

On top of that, a win against the Heat would be a milestone fifth win in a row, which would be the most wins in a row Devin Booker has every experienced in this professional career. Unfortunately, he’s been on the wrong side of this streak, having lost a wretched 17 straight at one point, but this would be a milestone worth shooting for, even if it weren’t for playoff implications.

Overall, the motivation factor for the Suns should be sky-high, especially compared to that of the Miami Heat who have very little to play for. The Suns have to use that, and the momentum they’ve built thus far in the bubble, to propel themselves to a victory.