Phoenix Suns Face Momentum-Defining 6-Game Run

The Phoenix Suns have a golden opportunity ahead of them in their next six games to move out of a play-in spot entering the home stretch of the season.

Beginning tonight against the Sacramento Kings (14-48), all six of these games will be against teams currently under .500.

Phoenix (34-26) has been the seventh seed in the West for all but three days since Nov. 29 and is two games back of the sixth seed behind the Los Angeles Lakers entering this stretch.

The Suns are 19-5 on the season against teams below .500 and are also getting back Devin Booker, who missed the last four games with a hip strain, and Haywood Highsmith, who was signed by the team over the All-Star break but has yet to play this season after undergoing meniscus surgery in the offseason, against the Kings.

Dillon Brooks (left hand fracture) and Jordan Goodwin (left calf strain) remain sidelined, but Goodwin should be able to return during these six games, while Brooks will likely be out until later this month or the beginning of April.

What Next 6 Games Look Like for Suns

Here are all of Phoenix's opponents for the next six games:

• March 3 @ Sacramento Kings (14-48)
• March 5 vs. Chicago Bulls (25-36)
• March 6 vs. New Orleans Pelicans (19-43)
• March 8 vs. Charlotte Hornets (30-31)
• March 10 @ Milwaukee Bucks (26-34)
• March 12 @ Indiana Pacers (15-46)

Given who the Suns are up against, they have a great chance to win all six of these games, which we previously predicted them to do. The two most difficult matchups come against the Hornets, who have been hot as of late, and the Bucks, who just got back Giannis Antetokounmpo.

The Suns' longest winning streak this season is five games from Nov. 6-Nov. 13, so they have a great chance to at least match this coming out of a four-day break following a huge 113-110 victory over the Lakers last Thursday.

The schedule ramps up after this with four-straight road matchups against playoff teams (Toronto Raptors, Boston Celtics, Minnesota Timberwolves and San Antonio Spurs), so all six of these games will be very important.

What Suns Need to Show in These 6 Games

This stretch will be more than just an opportunity for stacking wins, as there are a few things Phoenix needs to get back on track ahead of the play-in or playoffs.

The first is staying healthy, as the Suns suffered three key injuries in the first two games out of the All-Star break, but with Booker back now, they will hope no one else goes down and that they can establish a consistent rotation.

Jalen Green also needs to get going, and he will revert back to being the second option with Booker returning, which could help him snap out of his recent slump after shooting 21-for-75 (28%) from the field and 5-for-33 (15.2%) from 3 over the last four games while being thrust into the role of the team's primary scorer without Booker and Brooks and coming off a major hamstring injury.

Phoenix, as a whole, was in a huge offensive slump before shooting 44% from 3 against the Lakers, who are not a good defensive team, so Booker being back should help the offense return to full form, although Brooks' absence could continue to be missed if others don't step up.

Can the Suns stay healthy and build some rhythm as a team over this stretch? We will see what ends up happening.

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