PHOENIX -- The Phoenix Suns have just seven games remaining in the 2024-25 season.
With a 35-40 record, they can only afford one more loss to reach a .500 record. If Phoenix were to fall under 41 wins, that would mark the first time since 2019-20 where the Suns finished with a losing record.
A season that was supposed to be about championship contention has fallen massively short in just about every way.
And the Suns know it, especially after suffering another embarrassing loss at the hands of the Houston Rockets to conclude the month of March.
"Tonight was a bad night. There's no other way to paint it. But I don't think it's what it's been, to say categorically, every night," said Suns coach Mike Budenholzer after the 39-point loss.
"But tonight, we were not good. Urgency, anything you want to put on it, we were not good."
Things went from bad to worse on Sunday when the Suns lost Kevin Durant to an ankle injury. Budenholzer confirmed MRI's will take place on Durant's ankle and he'll stay back for Phoenix's upcoming road stint.
"Everybody has to step up, starting with myself. The exact opposite of what went down tonight. We have it in the locker room, and we just have to pull it out," Suns star Devin Booker said.
Entering Monday, the Suns are 1.5 games out of the West's 10th seed, which holds the final play-in tournament spot. Phoenix has the toughest remaining strength of schedule according to Tankathon.
"A couple of days ago, we won 4 games in a row. We've got to find a way to get back to that. This league, you're going to get another game, but, tonight, not good, but we've got to find a way to flip it and be better," Budenholzer said.
Time is quickly running out for the Suns.