Yardbarker
Yardbarker
x
Suns Face Must-Win Game to Keep Play-In Hopes Alive
Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images

PHOENIX- The Phoenix Suns’ postseason hopes are still alive, but the pressure is on. If the Suns secure a victory against the Chicago Bulls tonight and the Dallas Mavericks lose their matchup, Phoenix could move into the No. 10 seed in the Western Conference, keeping their Play-In Tournament chances alive.

With the regular season winding down, every game carries significant weight. The Suns, who have struggled this season, find themselves in a must-win situation. A victory over Chicago, paired with a Mavericks loss, would allow Phoenix to close the gap and potentially leapfrog Dallas based on tiebreaker scenarios.

The Suns will rely heavily on stars Kevin Durant and Devin Booker as well as rookies Oso Ighodaro and Ryan Dunn to deliver in the high-stakes matchup. Bradley Beal will remain out with a hamstring injury.

Even if the Suns break into the top 10, their work would not be finished. The Play-In Tournament presents its own challenges, requiring them to win at least one game—if not two—to officially secure a playoff spot. Given the team’s turbulent season, just making the play-in would be a crucial step in salvaging their championship ambitions.

ESPN analytics favors the Suns to defeat the Bulls, but their postseason fate remains uncertain. With a win tonight and some help from Dallas’ opponent, Phoenix could find itself one step closer to playoff contention.

This article first appeared on Burn City Sports and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads:

TODAY'S BEST

Lakers Officially Sign Former Ivy League Star
NBA

Lakers Officially Sign Former Ivy League Star

The Lakers probably have not had the impact offseason many fans hoped they'd have, choosing to spend their limited available money on what they hope will be bargain pieces--point guard Marcus Smart and center Deandre Ayton, players who were good enough to be considered stars at one point, but who have fallen off enough that their previous teams saw fit to buy them out. That's far from the wild trade proposals fans and some media members dreamt up over recent months. And it is far from the bubbling rumors of a blockbuster that would send star forward LeBron James elsewhere. It's still possible that the Lakers will find a wild trade to make in the coming weeks, perhaps even one that includes James, no matter how unlikely that looks to be. But those around the league and within the Lakers have long held that L.A. has belief in the current roster, when healthy. And there's a determination to give it a shot. That means not only the additions of Smart and Ayton, but also, finally, getting healthy seasons from Jarred Vanderbilt and Jaxson Hayes, plus improvement from the likes of Bronny James and, of course, more familiarity with Luka Doncic. In the meantime, the Lakers need to fill out the back end of the roster, and for a team that has had some luck with G League and two-way players, that could be important. The Lakers announced on Thursday that they are signing former Cornell star Chris Manon, who struggled and averaged 6.6 points last year after transferring to Vanderbilt, to a two-way contract. Manon played with the Warriors in summer league, and ESPN's Dave McMenamin reported that the Lakers still have a two-way post available. He wrote on Twitter/X: "The Lakers announce the signing of Chris Mañon to a two-way contract. They have one two-way contract available to fill still, with center Christian Koloko signed as their second two-way player." Manon's offensive struggles were obvious when he moved to the SEC, but it was never his scoring that was going to get him to the NBA. As the site No Ceilings wrote of Manon: "Chris Manon is one of the best defensive playmakers in college hoops. Despite carrying a 26.6 usage rate, Manon was still a high-energy, active defender. He posted a 5.5 STL%, 2.8 BLK%, and 4.1 DBPM, which are elite indicators for a guard prospect."

Biggest impact of Josh Naylor trade may still be to come
MLB

Biggest impact of Josh Naylor trade may still be to come

While the Seattle Mariners landed an impact bat on Thursday night, their trade for Josh Naylor has also likely impacted the entire upcoming MLB trade deadline. On Thursday, Seattle sent a pair of top pitching prospects to the Arizona Diamondbacks in exchange for Naylor, with left-hander Brandyn Garcia (ranked as Seattle's 13th-best prospect by MLB.com) and right-hander Ashton Izzi (ranked as Seattle's 16th-best prospect by the same rankings) heading to the desert. Knowing what the Diamondbacks received in exchange for Naylor could well set the market for what is to come between now and the conclusion of the 2025 MLB trade deadline, set for 6 p.m. (Eastern) on July 31. The 28-year-old first baseman was ranked by The Athletic as the 17th-best trade candidate likely to be available, but ranked behind just one other first baseman (Baltimore's Ryan O'Hearn, who was slotted in at 16th). If Naylor brought in a pair of pitching prospects, including Garcia, who has appeared in two games this season for Seattle, the Diamondbacks could be salivating over what third baseman Eugenio Suarez and his 36 home runs could bring in return. All MLB teams who will be buying or selling at this year's trade deadline have had the first price bar set for them with the Naylor deal. Now it will be fascinating to see what comes next, especially knowing that Naylor will be a free agent at the end of this season. If Seattle gave up two pitching prospects for a player who could be a late-season rental only, imagine what the Minnesota Twins may be able to recoup for starting pitcher Joe Ryan (under team control through the 2027 season) or the Boston Red Sox might get back for outfielder Jarren Duran, who won't be a free agent until the 2029 campaign. While Naylor may not be the biggest move to come during this span before the trade deadline comes to a close, his deal could be the one that establishes selling prices for the trades that are to come. With so few MLB teams expected to be outright sellers, the price for available talent was expected to be high. We learned on Thursday night with the Naylor swap just how high those prices may go.

Yankees Traded Flourishing Infielder for Struggling Closer
MLB

Yankees Traded Flourishing Infielder for Struggling Closer

The New York Yankees have made their 2025 goals abundantly clear: They're trying to return to the World Series and win it all. In an effort to do so, the Pinstripes traded pitcher Nestor Cortes and infielder Caleb Durbin to the Milwaukee Brewers this season, adding closer Devin Williams to the roster. Halfway into the season, it looks like that was a big mistake. The Yankees are now looking to fill gaps in the both the bullpen and the infield before the MLB trade deadline rolls around at the end of the month. Utilityman Oswaldo Cabrera was great at third base, but suffered a potentially season-ending injury in May. The Yankees tried to compensate by shifting Jazz Chisholm Jr. to third, but it was clear Chisholm excels at second, and he's since been moved back. Durbin, on the other hand, has only gotten better in Milwaukee. "Over 75 games this season, Durbin is slashing .265/.350/.382 with five homers and elite contact skills at the plate," Alexander Wilson of Empire Sports Media wrote. "He ranks in the 95th percentile in whiff rate and 98th in strikeout rate — rare company for a young infielder. Durbin’s advanced plate discipline would’ve been invaluable in a Yankees lineup that too often leans on boom-or-bust approaches." Then there's Devin Williams, who has been part of a shaky-at-best Yankees bullpen. He has certainly seen improvement since the beginning of the season, when he was pulled from closing duties after a blown save to the Yankees' division rival Toronto Blue Jays. However, it hasn't been quite enough. Toronto swept New York in a four game series earlier this month, securing their lead of the AL east over the Pinstripes. Williams pitched the final inning, giving up two earned runs. He has a 4.82 ERA over 37.1 innings pitched in 41 games. Williams keeps improving, and hopefully will prove that the Yankees made the right choice by acquiring him. However, that still doesn't fill the gaping hole New York has at third base, and they're likely missing Durbin's consistent abilities in the field and at the plate. The Yankees have until the July 31 MLB trade deadline to make any trades to address these issues. Make sure to bookmark Yankees On SI to get all your daily New York Yankees news, interviews, breakdowns and more! Cam Schlittler is Not Yankees Paul Skenes Yankees Fighting Red Sox for Diamondbacks Pitchers Yankees’ Aaron Judge Ties Alex Rodriguez on All-Time List Braves Troll Yankees' Jazz Chisholm With Walk-Up Song Yankees in Trade Talks With Pirates

Sherrone Moore says Michigan will do away with controversial celebration
College Football

Sherrone Moore says Michigan will do away with controversial celebration

Michigan and Ohio State are sure to play another spirited game on the gridiron this season, but it sounds like there will be no flag planting afterward regardless of the outcome. Michigan won its fourth straight game against Ohio State last season, and the Wolverines' latest victory was the biggest upset the rivalry has seen in years. The eventual national champion Buckeyes were ranked No. 2 in the country when an unranked Michigan team went into Columbus and beat them, 13-10. A huge scrum broke out after the game when Michigan players stood on Ohio State's midfield logo and pretended to plant their flag in enemy territory. The brawl got so out of hand that stadium police wound up using pepper spray. While speaking with reporters on Thursday, Michigan head coach Sherrone Moore said his players will not be partaking in any flag-planting activity going forward. "There will be no more flag planting. There will be no more grabbing the flag," Moore said. "We talked about our new tradition and what we do when we win a game is go beat the band, go sing our (fight song) and stay over there until the other team departs. That's how we'll operate — shake hands after the game, show sportsmanship, be cordial." While there has been no formal ban of flag planting, Ohio State coach Ryan Day also expressed opposition to the act after last year's incident. Ohio State and Michigan have one of the best rivalries in sports, so there is always going to be bad blood between the two programs. Moore and Day are doing what they can to make sure things don't get out of hand again the next time their teams meet.

Customize Your Newsletter

Yardbarker +

Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!