Will the Suns face the Clippers or the Blazers in the play-in?

The Phoenix Suns on Wednesday night secured the No. 7 seed in the Western Conference ahead of the NBA Play-in Tournament.

Whether they hold that seed to face the No. 2 San Antonio Spurs in a seven-game playoff series depends on whether Phoenix can defeat either the Los Angeles Clippers or Portland Trail Blazers in a Tuesday night play-in game at Mortgage Matchup Center.

The Clippers (41-39) and Trail Blazers (40-40) each have two games remaining and are vying for the more favorable 7-8 play-in game instead of the 9-10 game. One of those games is against each other, on Friday in Portland.

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Who will the Suns face in the play-in between the Clippers and Blazers?

Los Angeles holds a 78% probability of holding onto the No. 8 seed to play the Suns since it’s a full game up on Portland.

If the Clippers beat the Blazers on Friday night, that will lock Los Angeles into a Pacific Division battle against the Suns on Tuesday.

Should Portland beat Los Angeles, it’ll tie the teams’ records at 41-40, with the Blazers holding a head-to-head tiebreaker.

That will leave each team with a game left at the same time: 5:30 p.m. MST Sunday. Then, Portland plays Sacramento (21-59), while Los Angeles hosts a Golden State (37-42) team already set for the 10th seed.

If the Blazers beat the Clippers on Friday and then the Kings on Sunday, they play the Suns on Tuesday.

If Portland beats LA but falls to Sacramento, then they’ll hope the Clippers lose to the Warriors on Sunday to earn a play-in visit to Phoenix.

Falling to the No. 9 seed would require either the Blazers or Clippers win two play-in contests in a row to make the No. 8 seed for a matchup against the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder.

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PVL semifinals set stage for new All-Filipino champion

MANILA, Philippines — A new All-Filipino champion will be crowned in the PVL as top seed PLDT, last year’s runner-up Creamline, surging Cignal, and first-time semifinalist Farm Fresh clash in a round-robin semifinals beginning Saturday at Mall of Asia Arena. With Farm Fresh, under Japanese coach Koji Tsuzurabara, dethroning the core of defending champion Petro

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6 Players to Buy Low (2026 Fantasy Baseball)

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Mark Williams ruled out for Mavericks-Suns

The Suns will be without big man Mark Williams when Phoenix takes on the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday night.

The center has been ruled out with left foot injury management ahead of Phoenix’s second night of a back-to-back.

Additionally, forward Haywood Highsmith is out with right knee injury management. Sharpshooter Grayson Allen is questionable with a right quadriceps contusion.

Williams appeared in the past three games for Phoenix after missing the previous 15 due to a left foot stress fracture. He scored 19 points on 7-of-9 shooting to go along with eight rebounds and three steals in Tuesday’s loss to the Houston Rockets.

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Despite the missed time, Williams has set a new career high in single-season games played with 59 (54 starts). He’s averaging 11.7 points on 64.2% shooting and chipped in eight rebounds and an assist per game.

Cooper Flagg probable vs. Suns

Dallas’ 2025 No. 1 overall pick Cooper Flagg is listed as probable for Wednesday’s game in Phoenix with a sprained left wrist.

In 67 starts, Flagg is averaging 21.2 points on 47.1% shooting and 29.7% from deep. He’s added 6.6 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 1.2 steals per game.

Daniel Gafford (right shoulder impingement), Naji Marshall (left hip contusion), Caleb Martin (right plantar fascia sprain), Klay Thompson (rest), P.J. Washington (left elbow sprain) and Brandon Williams (illness) are all listed as doubtful for Dallas.

If all the doubtful Mavericks don’t play, Dallas will have 10 guys available for Wednesday’s game.

Kyrie Irving (knee) and Dereck Lively Jr. (right foot) remain out.

The Suns take on the Mavericks at 7 p.m. You can catch all the action on the Arizona Sports app, ESPN 620 AM and ArizonaSports.com.

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Jordan Goodwin wins Suns’ 2026 Majerle Hustle Award

The Phoenix Suns named guard Jordan Goodwin their winner for the annual Majerle Hustle Award, presented to the Suns player each year who showed the most “hustle, grit and determination.”

The award is named after Suns Ring of Honor member and two-time All-Defensive Second Team member Dan Majerle.

Goodwin returned to the Suns last summer for a second stint to compete for a spot at the end of the roster. He has since worked his way into starting games recently given his defensive prowess and rebounding this season.

The 27-year-old leads the Suns with 105 steals, is second on the team with 136 offensive rebounds and sixth in minutes (1,559) despite having started only nine games. He ranks eighth in the NBA in total deflections.

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Goodwin is one of five guards in the league averaging more than two offensive boards per game. The other four are Amen Thompson (Rockets), Dyson Daniels (Hawks), Ausar Thompson (Pistons) and Justin Champagnie (Wizards).

Goodwin is also one of two Suns players to accomplish this feat: Majerle (1989-90) and Dennis Johnson (1980-81).

Along with his defensive abilities and hustle, Goodwin has contributed at least nine points in four of the past five games. He is averaging a career-high 8.7 points per game this season.

He has taken advantage of his playing time while spending most of the season wearing a protective mask after he suffered a jaw injury in December.

Suns’ previous Majerle Hustle Award winners

Ryan Dunn (2025)

Grayson Allen (2024)

Josh Okogie (2023)

Mikal Bridges (2022, 2021, 2019)

Jevon Carter (2020)

Josh Jackson (2018)

Alan Williams (2017)

P.J. Tucker (2016, 2015, 2014, 2013)

Sebastian Telfair (2012)

Grant Hill (2011, 2008)

Jared Dudley (2010)

Louis Amundson (2009)

Leandro Barbosa (2007)

Raja Bell (2006)

Shawn Marion (2005)

Casey Jacobsen (2004)

Bo Outlaw (2003)

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Arizona lands in top 5 of ESPN’s way-too-early 2026-27 top 25

The offseason has officially arrived for the Arizona Wildcats following a historic 36-win campaign and the program’s first trip to the Final Four in 25 years.

College analyst Jeff Borzello foresees more of the same next year for head coach Tommy Lloyd, with the Wildcats taking the No. 5 spot in ESPN’s way-too-early top 25 rankings for the 2026-27 season.

He also predicts Arizona’s starting lineup to include junior center Motiejus Krivas, freshman forward Ivan Kharchenkov, freshman forward Dwayne Aristode, four-star guard Cameron Holmes and five-star guard Caleb Holt.

As Borzello mentions, freshman guard Brayden Burries and freshman forward Koa Peat are expected to declare for the NBA Draft. Seniors Jaden Bradley, senior guard Anthony Dell’Orso and senior forward Tobe Awaka have no more college eligibility.

However, he projects the Wildcats to maintain two-fifths of their previous starting five with Krivas and Kharchenkov returning for another season. The rest of the lineup is presumed to feature a reset of young talent.

Aristode, a five-star recruit from Arizona’s 2025 class, will look to work his way into an increased role after averaging 13.2 minutes per game as a freshman.

Holmes was the first commitment of the team’s 2026 class, remaining in-state after turning into the No. 29 overall recruit while at Millenium High School.

Out of the three new faces, Borzello believes Holt carries the highest expectations since he expects him to have “an immediate impact”. The five-star shooting guard and No. 4 player overall is the highest-ranked recruit to arrive in Tucson during the Tommy Lloyd era, and rounded out his pre-collegiate career by winning the McDonald’s All-American co-MVP award on March 31.

The analyst also makes a closing note that Bradley’s departure leaves a hole at the point guard position that Arizona needs to fill this offseason. The transfer portal window for college basketball opened on Tuesday, and Arizona has yet to make any official signings.

The four teams above Arizona in the top 25 ranking are 2025-26 national champions Michigan (No. 1), Duke (No. 2), Florida (No. 3) and national championship runner-up UConn (No. 4).

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Hotshots build momentum for tough stretch

Coach LA Tenorio and Magnolia continued their winning ways with import Clint Chapman after pulling away from the once-hot Terrafirma, 85-70, on Tuesday. Now at 2-3 (win-loss) and showing signs of a turnaround following three straight defeats to begin the PBA Commissioner’s Cup, the Hotshots turn their attention on a tough weekend slate that could

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