Arguably the biggest surprise during the 2023-24 NBA season was the performance of the Phoenix Suns. They barely escaped having to participate in the NBA Play-In Tournament, landing the No. 6 seed in the Western Conference.
Their outlook was thought to be quite positive by many people, as they were matched up against the No. 3 seed Minnesota Timberwolves. For as disappointing as the regular season was, the 2024 NBA Playoffs were even worse.
Phoenix was the only team that was swept in the first round of the postseason. Their season came to an end on Sunday night when the Timberwolves defeated them 122-116, sending them home much earlier than anyone would have hoped.
A young and hungry Timberwolves team, motivated to prove they belong in the upper echelon of the Western Conference, certainly proved that. Game 4 was the only one in the series which they didn’t win by at least 12 points, as they asserted their dominance throughout.
In the process, Suns starting center Jusuf Nurkic has made some NBA history no player wants to be tied to. This season was the fifth time Nurkic has played on a team that has qualified for the playoffs.
Coming into the season, he has found no success in the playoffs, never advancing past the first round. Not only has Nurkic never advanced, but his teams haven’t been overly competitive. With the four losses to the Timberwolves, he is now 3-17 in the playoffs. His .150 is the worst winning percentage by any player in NBA history with at least 20 postseason games played, per StatMuse.
That certainly isn’t a distinction Nurkic thought he would own when he joined the start-studded Suns in an offseason trade from the Portland Trail Blazers. Alas, things don’t always turn out the way they are planned, as Phoenix wrapped up one of the most disappointing seasons in recent NBA history on Sunday evening.
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