The Phoenix Suns have enjoyed a remarkable turnaround in fortunes in the last 10 days, and are now the winners of four straight games. They still have the toughest remaining schedule in the entire league - but with signature wins over the Cleveland Cavaliers and Milwaukee Bucks - that fact now seems that bit less scary.
Kevin Durant is peaking at the right time - not that the 36-year-old was ever playing particularly badly - while Devin Booker looked more like himself with that go-ahead basket to sink the Bucks. About the only issue in all of this is the fact the Suns have put together this impressive, vibes heavy, run with Bradley Beal out injured, but even that has come with a silver lining.
A superstar returning from injury is about to complicate things.
Although the Suns are doing the hard part by winning the games necessary to remain in the hunt for a play-in tournament spot, injuries to those around them was also helping. Domantas Sabonis is nearing a return for the Sacramento Kings, and you know they will have a point to prove after moving on from De'Aaron Fox earlier this season.
But it is Anthony Davis and the Dallas Mavericks who should concern the Suns the most, with Davis back in action Monday night versus the Brooklyn Nets. He was far from his dominant best - which we saw in his single half of basketball after being sent to Texas in the Luka Doncic trade - but we know that version of Davis is going to return soon, even if the Mavericks themselves don't want that.
It is probably in the best interest of the organization long-term to tank the rest of this season, only their fan base might just pick them up and relocate the team themselves if that happens. They are still reeling from the Doncic news, and Davis coming back and helping this group be competitive is exactly what they want to see.
It was not so long ago that they nabbed center Dereck Lively II - who helped power them to an NBA Finals run - with a high than expected draft pick, but this is a unique situation. Kyrie Irving is out for the foreseeable future with an ACL tear, and the 32-year-old Davis really is the only good thing about the franchise right now.
You can bet he's also going to want to win as many games as he can on his own, to show the Los Angeles Lakers what they are missing. The fans over there love Doncic already - with good reason - but it was Davis who they won their last championship with. There's no way he is going to want to go out like that, no matter what it means for the Mavericks' draft odds.
Which gives the Suns another obstacle to overcome in their quest to make the postseason. Perhaps this will be easy, and the Kings will still fall away even with Sabonis back. They remain ahead of the Suns however, with the Mavericks the team behind them in 11th spot. Yet more pressure to keep this win streak and the hopes of actually playing in the postseason alive.