What Suns Said After Gritty Playoff-Clinching Win vs Warriors

The Phoenix Suns move into the first round of the Western Conference playoffs.

Apr 17, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Phoenix Suns forward Royce O'Neale (00) celebrates a shot against the Golden State Warriors during the second half in the play-in rounds of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Mortgage Matchup Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

PHOENIX — The Phoenix Suns' postseason continues.

After losing their initial play-in game against the Portland Trail Blazers on Tuesday, Phoenix was set with a win-or-go-home battle against the Golden State Warriors.

With their backs against the wall, Phoenix led for practically the entire way in a 111-96 win at Mortgage Matchup Center.

"Yeah, obviously, Tuesday night was emotional for everyone how it ended, but I think that's what we've done all year," Suns coach Jordan Ott said after the win. Phoenix will now play the Oklahoma City Thunder in the first round of NBA playoff action.

"I think that the group that's in that locker room has a ton of resilience and wants to do things different, and that's what we stress from, from the get go. And sometimes the road’s not always the one that you choose and think it's going to happen or the one that's most traveled, sometimes it's the least traveled. So we found our way in, now it's on to the next thing, but truly that group in the locker room that's been special all year, and special again the last three or four days.

"Overcoming the disappointment and then coming out and playing that hard against a team that has every solution in the book and to guard like that for 48 minutes, sometimes it just comes down to toughness.”

The Suns were spurred by consecutive high scoring performances from Jalen Green, who notched 35 and 36 points in Phoenix's respective play-in battles.

"It's the NBA. You kind of learn that the first couple of years, coming into that. You can't dwell about last game too much since you have another one coming up," Green said when reflecting on the Suns' bounce back from Tuesday's loss against Portland.

"We sat there and talked to each other in the film room. We came  together and started our preparation for this game." 

The Suns avoided some potentially eye-opening history, as a loss would have sealed their fate as the first No. 7 seed to ever miss out on the playoffs. Phoenix was just the third seventh seed to lose their first play-in game, though those teams are now officially 3-0 in those circumstances.

Now, they'll be looking to make a bit more history against the No. 1 seeded Thunder as the seventh ever No. 8 seed to upset a top team in a conference playoff setting.