The Phoenix Suns are only getting started with what is a brutal series against the Oklahoma City Thunder, and their head coach won't be letting up anytime soon either.
But had they done what they were supposed to and beaten the Portland Trail Blazers at home in their first play-in tournament games, things could be so different right now.
Suns had chance to inflict shock defeat on San Antonio Spurs
As you're probably aware by now, the Trail Blazers have levelled the series against the Spurs, taking home court advantage away from them in the process.
The reason for this is obvious, superstar Victor Wembanyama forced to leave Game 2 and enter concussion protocols after this nasty spill.
Victor Wembanyama (concussion protocol) is OUT for the remainder of the game after hitting his head on the court. pic.twitter.com/qP8tAf6osN
— NBA on NBC and Peacock (@NBAonNBC) April 22, 2026
His availability for the next couple of games is rightly up in the air, and with the next game in Portland there could well be a massive upset on the cards.
Only that should have been the Suns in this position, and they also should have been all too aware that Wembanyama has struggled to stay on the court over the course of an entire season.
You would never wish injuries on anybody, but already the French phenom has looked like a guy who, in part because of his video game build, is more susceptible to a tweak or freak fall like the one above.
The Spurs without "Wemby" are stull better than the Suns, and they shouldn't need him in order to get past the Trail Blazers either.
But it just proves that anything can happen in the postseason, and Phoenix messed up badly by not ensuring they were the ones going against the Spurs.
Instead they're trying to steal a game against a potential dynasty in the Thunder, who have been a matchup nightmare and are exposing many of the flaws on the Suns' own roster.
Let us also not forget that the Suns were one of the few teams who actually played Wembanyama reasonably well this season, although they are missing key personnel from that effective game plan.
Grayson Allen currently unavailable himself through injury, and the tandem of himself and Royce O'Neale did an excellent job of using their smaller and quicker bodies to annoy him.
When you've got Dillon Brooks and Devin Booker and your opponent's best player might miss some games, you have always got a chance.
But what we will watch unfold instead is a likely sweep and an offseason in which the likely availability of some star players could tempt owner Mat Ishbia to the table.
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