PHOENIX — The Phoenix Suns got off to a less-than-ideal start after the 2024 NBA All-Star break with consecutive losses, though a win against the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday injected another dose of hope in the Valley.

In NBA.com’s new power rankings, the Suns are still in their current No. 8 positioning they held last week:

“The Suns’ last seven losses have all been on the road. They’ve won eight straight at home, with five of those coming against teams with winning records. With their win over the Lakers on Sunday, they’re 16-16 against the other 17 teams that are currently above .500,” wrote John Schuhmann. 

“They’ve won two straight fourth quarters by at least five points for the first time this season. A strong start to the fourth in Houston helped them erase a 14-point deficit, only to come up short down the stretch. But after seeing a 20-point lead cut to five points at the end of the third quarter on Sunday, they kept the Lakers at bay to get their first post-break win. The Suns still have the league’s worst fourth-quarter offense (103.5 points scored per 100 possessions), but have scored 62 points on 49 possessions (1.27 per) over these last two fourth quarters.

“Kevin Durant (who moved up to ninth in all-time scoring) has led the way with 17 total points over those two fourth quarters, but right behind him (with 15 points in only 17 minutes) is Bol Bol, who’s gotten rotation minutes in eight of the last nine games. He had 25 points and 14 rebounds (both one shy of his career-high marks) in Houston and the Suns have allowed just 100.4 points per 100 possessions in his 122 minutes over that stretch.

“The Suns have more road games (13) than home games (11) remaining, but the win over the Lakers began a stretch where they’re playing six of seven at Footprint Center. They’re still just 1-4 against the top four teams in the West, having allowed 129 points per 100 possessions over those five games, and they’ll be at a rest disadvantage when they host the Thunder on Sunday.”

As of now, Phoenix sits with the No. 6 spot in the West. They’re 6.5 games back from first but just four games from the No. 4 seed.