It’s been a second round to forget for the Phoenix Suns, who have been outscored by Denver on the road by a combined 28 points in the first two games of the teams’ series.
As the Suns look to get on the board in downtown Phoenix in Friday night’s Game 3 (7 p.m., ESPN), BetArizona.com, your home to Arizona sportsbook promos, looked back through the archives to see how the Suns have fared since 1978 in series where they lost the first two games.
The news isn’t good for Suns fans, even though oddsmakers at Arizona sportsbooks list the Suns as a 3.5-point favorite with a moneyline of -165 in Game 3.
Suns Playoff History Down 0-2
- 1978-79: Lost Western Conference Finals to Seattle in 7 games
- 1979-80: Lost WC semifinals to L.A. Lakers in 5 games
- 1981-82: Lost WC semifinals to L.A. Lakers in 4 games
- 1983-84: Lost WC Finals to L.A. Lakers in 6 games
- 1988-89: Lost WC Finals to L.A. Lakers in 4 games
- 1989-90: Lost WC Finals to Portland in 6 games
- 1991-92: Lost WC semifinals to Portland in 5 games
- 1992-93: Won 1st round against L.A. Lakers in 5 games/Lost NBA Finals to Chicago in 6 games
- 1995-96: Lost 1st round to San Antonio in 4 games
- 1998-99: Lost 1st round to Portland in 3 games
- 1999-2000: Lost WC semifinals to L.A. Lakers in 5 games
- 2004-05: Lost WC Finals to San Antonio in 5 games
- 2007-08: Lost in 1st round to San Antonio in 5 games
- 2009-10: Lost WC Finals to San Antonio in 6 games
- Total: 1-14
Suns Have Struggled Down 2-0 In Franchise History
When it comes to NBA titles futures at BetMGM Sportsbook Arizona, Phoenix has fallen from having the second-best odds (+400) before the opening tip of Game 1 to the sixth highest at +1200.
The team’s Western Conference odds have fallen from +145 last week to +650 on Thursday.
If history is any indication, those odds might be generous.
Phoenix has been thwarted time and again when the franchise has fallen into a 2-0 hole, with the Suns’ last series victory coming in the first round of the then-best-of-five 1993 Western Conference First Round against the Lakers.
That year, Phoenix won three straight over L.A. to advance to the second round, where they rolled past the Spurs in six games, before knocking off the Super Sonics in six games to make the NBA Finals.
During that series against the Michael Jordan-led Bulls, the Suns once again fell behind 2-0, before eventually falling in six games to Chicago.
Fast forward three decades and the Suns find themselves in a similar position — much to the dismay of fans wagering on the team at Arizona betting apps — having been blown off the court 125-107 in Game 1, only to squander a third-quarter lead and fall in Game 2, 97-87.
As Phoenix approaches Friday’s pivotal Game 3, the Suns will look to avoid having Denver turn the tables on them from the 2020-21 postseason.
That year, the Suns routed the Nuggets in four games, en route to the team’s first NBA Finals appearance since that 1992-93 season.
Heading into Game 3, Phoenix will look to shirk 40-plus years of postseason futility in overcoming a 2-0 deficit for the first time in a best-of-seven series.
The road to victory will start and end with stopping two-time MVP Nikola Jokic, who has led all Nuggets in points (24.5), rebounds (11.8) and assists per game (9.8).
A Game 3 victory will also likely rest on the performance turned in by the Suns’ bench players, who have scored 28 points combined in the first two games of the series.
With veteran guard Chris Paul out for an extended period of time with a groin injury, players like Torrey Craig and Josh Okogie will be tasked with stepping in at the guard position in Games 3 and 4.
