Player of the Week

Jalen Green (PHO) is our Player of the Week for the Play-In.

The Suns entered the play-in tournament as the 7th seed, needing one win in two different formats to reach the postseason. Jalen Green made sure they only needed one decisive performance to get there. In the 7/8 game against Portland, Green poured in 35 points but the Suns fell short 110-114 after Deni Avdija's 41-point eruption carried the Blazers to a comeback victory. Green kept Phoenix alive with a four-point play to close the first half, but the Suns could not contain Avdija down the stretch.

Facing elimination three days later against Golden State, Green delivered one of the signature play-in performances in recent memory. He shot 14-for-20 from the field with eight three-pointers, tying the all-time record for threes in a play-in game. The Suns jumped out to a 33-15 first quarter lead, weathered a Warriors run in the second, and Green's shooting sealed the 111-96 victory in the second half. With Devin Booker and Dillon Brooks struggling to find their rhythm offensively, Green absorbed the scoring burden and added strong defensive contributions with 3 blocks.

Across both play-in games, Green averaged 35.5 points on 57% shooting and 48% from three, a significant leap from his 18.8 points and 43.5% shooting during the regular season. His 2.0 blocks per game also dwarfed his 0.4 season average. The Suns now head into a first-round matchup against the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder as the 8th seed, and Green's ability to produce at this level will determine how long Phoenix's postseason lasts.