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The Phoenix Suns have a chance to claim the top seed in the Western Conference with a win against the San Antonio Spurs at 2:00 p.m. ET Sunday but will rest their two best players in the regular-season finale. Chris Paul and Devin Booker will sit out.
Paul and Booker are Phoenix’s primary ball handlers, so Cameron Payne and Jevon Carter are more likely to take on larger workloads of the bench. Torrey Craig is one of the Suns’ better reserve options on the wing and could also benefit from a bump in usage.
If Phoenix loses and secures the second seed, it’ll play the winner of the play-in-game team that plays the eighth spot. The Los Angeles Lakers, Portland Trail Blazers, and Golden State Warriors are most likely to win out. All three squads have superstar talent, and the Suns’ dynamic backcourt will be well-rested when they have to compete against one of the Western Conference’s best underdogs.