The Phoenix Suns are no stranger to the situation that awaits them Tuesday night.
The Suns, who are knotted at two wins apiece against Denver in the Western Conference semifinals, have been tied 2-2 in playoff series 18 times dating back to the 1976 NBA Playoffs.
This year, Phoenix reached 2-2 thanks to holding off Denver by a combined 12 points in Games 3 and 4 at home.
Now, Arizona sportsbooks have the Suns as a slight underdog in Game 5 (7 p.m. TNT), with Phoenix listed at +4.5 and +165.
As far as NBA title futures are concerned, the Suns are currently listed at +650 on BetMGM Sportsbook Arizona, ranking fourth (behind Boston at +165, L.A. at +425 and Denver at +450).
Ahead of Tuesday’s Game 5, BetArizona.com broke down how the Suns have fared in the team’s previous 18 best-of-seven playoff series since the 1975-76 season.
Phoenix Suns’ Playoff History In 2-2 Series
- 1975-76: Western Conference Finals (Beat Golden State in 7 games)/NBA Finals (Lost to Boston in 6 games)
- 1978-79: Western Conference Finals (Lost to Seattle in 7 games)
- 1989-90: Western Conference Finals (Lost to Portland in 6 games)
- 1992-93: Western Conference Semifinals (Beat San Antonio in 6 games)/ Western Conference Finals (Beat Seattle in 7 games)
- 1993-94: Western Conference Semifinals (Lost to Houston in 7 games)
- 2002-03: Western Conference First round (Lost to San Antonio in 6 games)
- 2004-05: Western Conference Semifinals (Beat Dallas in 6 games)
- 2005-06: Western Conference Semifinals (Beat L.A. Clippers in 7 games)/ Western Conference Finals (Lost to Dallas in 6 games)
- 2006-07: Western Conference Semifinals (Lost to San Antonio in 6 games)
- 2009-10: Western Conference First round (Beat Portland in 6 games)/ Western Conference Finals (Lost to L.A. Lakers in 6 games)
- 2020-21: Western Conference First round (Beat L.A. Lakers in 6 games)/NBA Finals (Lost to Milwaukee in 6 games)
- 2021-22: Western Conference First round (Beat New Orleans in 6 games)/Western Conference Semifinals (Lost to Dallas in 7 games)
- Total: 8-10
Suns Have Mixed Success In Game 5s
For those putting bets down on Arizona sportsbook apps, Phoenix has struggled at times during series that start 2-2.
The franchise has split its last four opportunities, dating back to the 2020-21 campaign.
The Suns have gone 1-1 in series where they’ve split the first four games in each of the last two postseasons, beating the Lakers and Pelicans in the first round, before falling to the Bucks in the 2021 NBA Finals (in six games) and the Mavericks in the 2022 Western Conference Semifinals (in seven games).
Prior to that, the Suns split their 2-2 series in 2010, 2006, 1993 and 1976.
In total, Phoenix has gone 8-10 in series that have started 2-2, giving the franchise plenty of learning opportunities to grow from when the Suns face the Nuggets on Tuesday.
As for Game 5s themselves, the Suns have split their last 10 in series that started 2-2, beating New Orleans and Dallas in 2022, while splitting the pair of Game 5s the team played in during 2021 (beating the Lakers and losing to the Bucks). Remember that when using Arizona sports betting promo codes on the Suns this week.
As we approach the opening tip of Tuesday’s Game 5 between the Suns and Nuggets, it’ll be interesting to see whether Phoenix can avoid the pitfalls that tanked the team’s chances the last two years.
