Here is how the Phoenix Suns make the play-in games

The Phoenix Suns still have a chance to make the playoffs, but they need to beat the Mavericks and have either the Grizzlies or Blazers to lose on Thursday.

This Disney bubble has been more thrilling than riding Space Mountain on repeat, and the Phoenix Suns are one of the main reasons why. The team that no one considered to be a threat is now a couple bounces of the ball away from entering into the league’s first-ever play-in game scenario.

The Suns were a hair away from controlling their own destiny, but the basketball gods and Damian Lillard (who may be among them) intervened and propelled the Portland Trail Blazers to a win over the Dallas Mavericks Tuesday evening.

Lillard had 61 points including this insane bounce off the rim from 40-feet that almost hit the ceiling before falling back through the rim. Absolutely crazy.

The referees didn’t help either. They called an extremely tight game, which led to 18 of Dame’s points coming from the free-throw line and 54 fouls in total, including a suspect offensive foul in the closing seconds, waving off what would have been a go-ahead 3-pointer for Dallas.

But that game is done.

In better news, the Memphis Grizzlies fell to the Boston Celtics Tuesday, so as we go into Thursday, the following things need to happen:

• The Phoenix Suns need to beat the Dallas Mavericks AND one of the following:
  • The Brooklyn Nets need to beat the Portland Trail Blazers
  • The Milwaukee Bucks need to beat the Memphis Grizzlies

  If everyone loses, then the Spurs have a shot, but let’s be serious, screw the Spurs.

  Let’s look at the chance of this scenario plays out and the Suns do the unthinkable:

  

  The Phoenix Suns need to beat the Dallas Mavericks

  The Suns have already beaten the Mavericks once in the bubble, and they’ll have to do it again to have any hope of squeezing into the play-in games. On the upside of the Mavericks beating the Trail Blazers on Thursday, they no longer have a shot at the 6-seed. Since they are locked into 7-spot, does that mean they might rest their starters (especially Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis)?

  Hopefully.

  But don’t put it past competitors like Luka and KP to play with the idea of exacting revenge on the team that beat them earlier in the bubble and prepare for the playoffs.

  Also, this will be Phoenix’s first nationally televised game, as TNT finally got wind of the buzz around the Suns, wised up, and decided it would be best to feature them.

  Even if the Suns win, though, they need help, and they’ll have two options in which to get it:

  

  The Brooklyn Nets need to beat the Portland Trail Blazers

  First, the Blazers game. It has taken a 53-point effort and now a 61-point effort from Damian Lillard to will his team to victories in the last two games. Will he have to do the same thing against the extremely depleted Brooklyn Nets?

  Normally I would say no. The Nets resorted to picking up a 40-year-old-man off the street in order to have enough bodies to compete in the bubble, but this team has been playing surprisingly well.

  The Nets are 5-2 in the bubble, led by Caris LeVert who appears to be on the verge of becoming a legit star in this league. Even though their playoff seed is locked, I would not be surprised to see them go all out in an effort to continue to build their momentum and prep for the playoffs.

  Here is a prediction: Tyler Johnson has a huge game for the Nets on Thursday, they beat the Blazers, and as expected at the beginning of the season, Tyler Johnson helps the Suns make the playoffs.

  Stranger things have happened. If the Blazers do win, though, there is still a chance:

  

  Milwaukee Bucks need to beat the Memphis Grizzlies

  As for the chances the Bucks beat the Grizzlies, you’d think they would be pretty high, but yet again, the anti-Phoenix-Suns basketball deities have intervened. There was a chance the Bucks’ stars were going to sit out anyway, but now Giannis Antetokounmpo may not have a choice.

  On Tuesday night against the Wizards, the Greek Freak headbutted Mo Wagner, got ejected, and is now most certainly facing a suspension.

  Seriously.

  The MVP of the league just pulled a dirty soccer move on that goofy kid you might remember from his days at Michigan while playing for a team that was a courtesy invite to the bubble.

  What the heck, Giannis?

  Even without Antetokounmpo, the Bucks could still beat the Grizzlies. Memphis has been in a tailspin since arriving in the bubble and losing Jaren Jackson. Thus far, likely Rookie-of-the-Year, Ja Morant, hasn’t been able to do the same thing Damian Lillard has and single-handedly drag his team to victories.

  The Bucks will have absolutely nothing to play for on Thursday, as they have long wrapped up the top seed in the East, but they might be looking to find some rhythm before the playoffs hit, and what better way to do that than against the Memphis Grizzlies?