![]() ![]() After tearing through the regular season en route to a 62-20 record, it seemed like an inevitability that the Suns would beat the upstart Sonics, who were led by the young duo of Shawn Kemp and Gary Payton and tough veterans Ricky Pierce and Eddie Johnson. At stake was a trip to play Michael Jordan and the Bulls in the Finals. Despite the setback, the Suns remained a perennial playoff team, making the postseason 21 out of 24 times between 19. These included two memorable playoff series against the Sonics in the 90’s.įast-forward to 1993: the Suns featured league MVP Charles Barkley, lethal swingman Dan Majerle, point guard Kevin Johnson, former Sonic Tom Chambers, and aging sharpshooter Danny Ainge. Interestingly enough, the Suns were the first non-California “West Coast” team to make the NBA Finals (Portland and Seattle would soon follow).ĭuring Seattle’s 1979 title run, the Sonics got their revenge on Phoenix, defeating them 4-3 in the Western Conference Finals. The Suns went on to knock off Rick Barry and the Warriors before falling to Boston in the NBA Finals. The Sonics and Suns met in the 1976 Western Conference Semifinals, with Phoenix taking the series 4-2. The Suns rose to national prominence in the mid-70’s, behind an excellent team that featured Alvin Adams, future Sonic Paul Westphal, and former Sonic Garfield Heard. The teams shared similar franchise arcs, with the two sides often competitive at the same time. Seattle and Phoenix became a natural rivalry - two solid West Coast squads often in the Lakers’ shadow. Like the Sonics in Seattle, the Suns were Phoenix’s first professional sports team. The Sonics/Suns rivalry dates back to 1968, when the Suns (along with the Milwaukee Bucks) entered the league. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |