The Phoenix Suns can be eliminated from the NBA’s inaugural In-Season Tournament on Friday when they take on the Memphis Grizzlies at Footprint Center, but it would take a lot of extra shoving from outside forces.
The elimination scenarios were shared on X, formerly Twitter, by the NBA on Friday morning.
Here are the potential scenarios for elimination, only one of which has to occur:
A Suns loss, PLUS a New Orleans Pelicans win, PLUS a Denver Nuggets win;
OR A Suns loss, PLUS a Minnesota Timberwolves win, PLUS a Golden State Warriors win;
OR a Suns loss and points differential;
OR a Pelicans win PLUS a Nuggets win PLUS points differential;
OR a Timberwolves win PLUS a Warriors win PLUS points differential.
The Suns currently sit at 2-1 with a plus-13 point differential in Group A in the In-Season Tournament Standings.
With the Los Angeles Lakers already at 4-0, the top spot in the group is out of reach for Phoenix. The Suns lost the tournament’s opening game to the Lakers at home, 122-119, on Nov. 11.
Among the other teams vying for the wild card spot in the Western Conference are the Pelicans, who are 2-1 in Group B with a plus-23 point differential, the Nuggets, who are 2-1 in Group B, with a plus-nine, the Sacramento Kings, who are 2-0 in Group C with a plus-16, and the Timberwolves, who are 2-0 in Group C with a plus-10.
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