Locked On Suns - Daily Podcast On The Phoenix Suns

Rather than dig too deep into the Suns' worst loss of the season, it's time for a standings update. After a game in Atlanta where Dario Saric was out of the rotation and Mikal Bridges again ran into foul trouble, the Suns are a game back from Utah in the West standings. With that in mind, we look at who can clinch seeds this week and what games to watch out for, including two huge Lakers games on national TV that could determine whether L.A. gets the 5-seed or falls into the play-in game.

Follow on Twitter: @LockedOnPHXSuns, @BrendonKleen14

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The Suns keep finding new ways to win and impress us, this time outscoring the Cavs 20-4 in overtime behind stellar defense from Mikal Bridges and Deandre Ayton. In addition to the young guys closing out the win, we also saw Devin Booker continue his hot first-quarter offense, which should be huge come playoff time. But the real question coming out of the game is do the Suns need to make every game a tough guy contest and stoop to the level of the opponent?

Follow on Twitter: @LockedOnPHXSuns, @BrendonKleen14

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John Voita of Bright Side of the Sun and the Suns JAM Session podcast joins the show to break down the Suns' improvements on defense, in the clutch and in the frontcourt over the course of the season. Then, we look at other Western Conference contenders and all the questions they face, from the Lakers' health to the Clippers' chemistry to Utah's staying power. The conversation ends with far more optimism than should be allowed for Suns fans.

Follow on Twitter: @LockedOnPHXSuns, @BrendonKleen14, @DarthVoita

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Brandon Duenas joins the show as he does every Monday to cycle through a draft featuring only Phoenix Suns players who were on the team during the 11-year drought from the NBA playoffs. Without using players from this current season, who can put together the best squad? And to start the show, a few thoughts on Sunday night's Suns-Thunder game to start the road trip.

Follow on Twitter: @LockedOnPHXSuns, @BrendonKleen14, @AZSportsZone

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Built Bar is a protein bar that tastes like a candy bar. Go to builtbar.com and use promo code “LOCKED15” and you’ll get 15% off your next order.

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Sam Amick of The Athletic joined the show to give us a dispatch after his brilliant profile of Chris Paul went up at The Athletic last week. We discuss Paul's state of mind, how he's thinking about free agency this summer, and whether this Suns team can help him overcome past failings. Then we look back on Monty Williams choosing the Suns over the Lakers and why he's been perfect in Phoenix. To close, Sam explains why rival NBA teams believe the Suns are for real as a contender.

Follow on Twitter: @LockedOnPHXSuns, @BrendonKleen14, @sam_amick

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After a 109-101 win over the Clippers, the Phoenix Suns are headed back to the NBA playoffs for the first time since 2010, ending the second-longest streak in the league. On this day of celebration, a look back at the experience of following this team during the cold spell, as well as how Devin Booker has matured and grown into a franchise pillar. Plus, a look at how the Suns handled L.A.'s small ball better in part three of this series.

Follow on Twitter: @LockedOnPHXSuns, @BrendonKleen14

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Ben Golliver of the Washington Post joins the show to discuss how Chris Paul has changed the Suns, why CP3 is a lock for Ben's All-NBA team, and how good it feels to see the Suns be competitive in the Western Conference again. We also discuss Ben's upcoming book, 'Bubbleball,' which documents the incredible basketball and trying times of the NBA Bubble last summer.

Follow on Twitter: @LockedOnPHXSuns, @BrendonKleen14, @BenGolliver

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Built Bar is a protein bar that tastes like a candy bar. Go to builtbar.com and use promo code “LOCKED15” and you’ll get 15% off your next order.

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Coming to you straight away after a brilliant 118-110 Suns win over the Knicks, it's time to tip our hats to Devin Booker for finishing the road trip much better than he started it and willing the Suns to victory in the Big Apple. We also saw Torrey Craig start for the first time as a Sun as the forward rotation continues to shift. And after a 3-2 finish to this tough East Coast trip, the Suns sit just one game back of Utah for the No. 1 overall seed.

Follow on Twitter: @LockedOnPHXSuns, @BrendonKleen14

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Brandon Duenas of Bright Side of the Sun and Zona Hoops joins the show to bring a healthy dose of optimism after the Suns beat two of the top three seeds in the East this week. We get into why the Suns couldn't keep pace with Brooklyn as well as why Torrey Craig has fit in Phoenix so well and could keep rising in the rotation. To close the show, a new segment featuring a game called 'What's the Rule?' in which we bare our souls and reveal which NBA and sports rules we don't understand as well as we should.

Follow on Twitter: @LockedOnPHXSuns, @BrendonKleen14, @AZSportsZone

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Built Bar

Built Bar is a protein bar that tastes like a candy bar. Go to builtbar.com and use promo code “LOCKED15” and you’ll get 15% off your next order.

BetOnline AG

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Indeed

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On the second night of a back to back, the Suns fought impressively but didn't get any favors from the rim or the referees. The numbers back up that the Suns don't get calls compared to their opponents, but what can they do about it? Last, a look at how Kemba Walker got hot, the rotation with Jae Crowder out, and why the Suns need Mikal Bridges to be more consistent on offense.

Follow on Twitter: @LockedOnPHXSuns, @BrendonKleen14

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