The Phoenix Suns suffered their third straight loss at home, falling to the Milwaukee Bucks. According to BD Cricket Live, while their fourth-place position in the Western Conference standings technically remains unchanged, the mood around the team has shifted drastically in just over a week. Against the Bucks, the Suns stayed competitive thanks to Devin Booker’s efforts, but in the final quarter, they simply couldn’t keep up.

Offensive firepower proved to be the difference. While Booker delivered a 30-plus point performance, no other Suns player scored more than 20, and the team finished with just 104 points — a clear sign of their recent offensive struggles. Not long ago, things were very different. In Kevin Durant’s first three road games with the Suns, the team looked poised for a championship run. With Durant and Booker leading the charge, Chris Paul managing the tempo, Deandre Ayton anchoring the paint, and role players stepping up, Phoenix appeared to be hitting its stride.

They rode that momentum through a brief winning streak that had fans and analysts alike believing in their title potential. But Durant’s sudden injury brought everything to a grinding halt, and the Suns’ offense has noticeably regressed in his absence. Naturally, the team hopes KD returns soon to pull them out of this slump. Recently, the Suns hinted that if the playoffs started tomorrow, Durant would be cleared to play. However, as BD Cricket Live emphasized, a team with championship aspirations must treat Durant’s health with extreme caution. Chasing short-term wins in the regular season can’t come at the cost of long-term goals.

That said, the Western Conference playoff race has become a cutthroat battleground. While Phoenix may be willing to sacrifice a few regular-season games to ensure Durant is fully healthy, it’s unclear how much cushion they actually have. The Suns currently hold just a one-game lead over the fifth- and sixth-place Warriors and Clippers, and the seventh-place Timberwolves are closing in fast — only two games behind.

What complicates matters further is the upward momentum of these rival teams. The Warriors and Clippers are slowly getting back to full strength, and Minnesota’s Karl-Anthony Towns is nearing his return. All three squads are finding their groove at just the right time, while the Suns seem to be stuck in reverse.

Looking ahead, if the Suns can’t shake off their sluggish form, they risk sliding even further down the standings. At this point, their baseline goal is to secure at least the sixth seed — the last guaranteed playoff spot. Falling into the play-in tournament could expose them to a single-elimination format, where anything can happen — and usually does. BD Cricket Live stressed that this is the kind of unpredictability Phoenix would rather avoid at all costs.

So the Suns find themselves at a crossroads. If they continue to rest Durant and protect his recovery, they may tumble down the standings. But rushing him back could jeopardize their ultimate goal — a deep playoff run. Either way, the clock is ticking, and every game from here on out is a high-stakes chess move in the race to the postseason.