The 1989âÂÂ90 Phoenix Suns season was the 21st season for the Phoenix Suns in the National Basketball Association. Cotton Fitzsimmons returned for his second season in his second stint as head coach of the Suns. The team was coming off a defeat to the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference Finals, where they lost in a four-game sweep.
The Suns struggled playing below .500 in winning percentage with a 9âÂÂ12 start to the regular season. In December, the team traded Armen Gilliam to the Charlotte Hornets in exchange for Kurt Rambis, who won four NBA championships with the Los Angeles Lakers. With the addition of Rambis, the Suns posted a 10-game winning streak in January, and later on held a 28âÂÂ17 record at the All-Star break. The team posted a nine-game winning streak in February, and then posted an eight-game winning streak in March, finishing in third place in the Pacific Division with a 54âÂÂ28 record, which earned them the fifth seed in the Western Conference.
Tom Chambers averaged 27.2 points and 7.0 rebounds per game, while last season's Most Improved Player, Kevin Johnson averaged 22.5 points, 11.4 assists and 1.3 steals per game, and Jeff Hornacek provided the team with 17.6 points, 5.0 assists and 1.7 steals per game. In addition, and off the bench, sixth man Eddie Johnson provided with 16.9 points per game off the bench, while second-year guard Dan Majerle contributed 11.1 points, 5.9 rebounds and 1.4 steals per game. Meanwhile, Mark West averaged 10.5 points, 8.9 rebounds and 2.2 blocks per game, Rambis contributed 5.4 points and 7.0 rebounds per game in 58 games after the trade, and second-year center Andrew Lang provided with 3.5 points, 3.7 rebounds and 1.8 blocks per game.
During the NBA All-Star weekend at the Miami Arena in Miami, Florida, Chambers and Kevin Johnson were both selected for the 1990 NBA All-Star Game, as members of the Western Conference All-Star team; it was Johnson's first ever All-Star appearance. Meanwhile, rookie shooting guard Kenny Battle participated in the NBA Slam Dunk Contest. Chambers and Johnson were both named to the All-NBA Second Team at season's end; Chambers also finished in eighth place in Most Valuable Player voting, while Eddie Johnson finished tied in third place in Sixth Man of the Year voting, and Hornacek finished in fourth place in Most Improved Player voting, with West finishing tied in sixth place.
In the Western Conference First Round of the 1990 NBA playoffs, the Suns faced off against the 4thâÂÂseeded Utah Jazz, who were led by the trio of All-Star forward Karl Malone, All-Star guard John Stockton, and Thurl Bailey. The Suns lost Game 1 to the Jazz on the road, 113âÂÂ96 at the Salt Palace, but managed to win the next two games to take a 2âÂÂ1 series lead. The Suns lost Game 4 at home at the Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum, 105âÂÂ94 as the Jazz evened the series. However, the Suns won Game 5 over the Jazz at the Salt Palace, 104âÂÂ102 to win in a hard-fought five-game series.
In the Western Conference Semi-finals, the team faced off against the topâÂÂseeded, and Pacific Division champion Los Angeles Lakers, who were led by the quartet of All-Star guard, and Most Valuable Player of the Year, Magic Johnson, All-Star forward James Worthy, Byron Scott, and All-Star forward A.C. Green. The Suns managed to win Game 1 over the Lakers on the road, 104âÂÂ102 at the Great Western Forum, before losing Game 2 on the road, 124âÂÂ100 as the Lakers evened the series. The Suns won the next two games at the Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum, and then won Game 5 over the Lakers at the Great Western Forum, 106âÂÂ103 to win the series in five games, upsetting the topâÂÂseeded team.
In the Western Conference Finals, the Suns then faced off against the 3rdâÂÂseeded Portland Trail Blazers, who were led by the quartet of All-Star guard Clyde Drexler, Terry Porter, All-Star center Kevin Duckworth and Jerome Kersey. The Trail Blazers took a 2âÂÂ0 series lead, but the Suns managed to win the next two games at home, including a Game 4 win over the Trail Blazers at the Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum, 119âÂÂ107 to even the series. However, after losing Game 5 on the road at the Memorial Coliseum, 120âÂÂ114, the Suns lost Game 6 to the Trail Blazers at the Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum, 112âÂÂ109, thus losing the series in six games. The Trail Blazers would advance to the NBA Finals, but would lose to the defending NBA champion Detroit Pistons in five games in the 1990 NBA Finals.
The season was also highlighted by Chambers setting a franchise record for points scored in one game, when on February 18, 1990, he scored 56 points in a 131âÂÂ113 road win over the Golden State Warriors. Just over a month later, he would break his own record when he scored 60 against his former team, the Seattle SuperSonics on March 24, 1990, which the Suns won at home, 121âÂÂ95. Chambers' record would be broken by Devin Booker on March 24th, 2017 by scoring 70 points against the Boston Celtics, and technically a second time on January 26th, 2024 against the Indiana Pacers with 62 points.
The Suns finished 17th in the NBA in home-game attendance, with an attendance of 578,661 at the Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum during the regular season.
The Suns traded first-round pick Anthony Cook on draft night to the Detroit Pistons for 27th pick Kenny Battle and Micheal Williams. Battle played for a season and a half before being waived in January 1991. Micheal Williams would play six games for the Suns before being waived. The Suns received the 46th pick (Ricky Blanton) from the Chicago Bulls when they traded Craig Hodges for Ed Nealy. Blanton, after knee surgery, sat on the bench for the 89âÂÂ90 season, and was waived shortly after the start of the 90âÂÂ91 season. Mike Morrison played sparingly in the 89âÂÂ90 season, and was traded before the start of the 90âÂÂ91 season. Greg Grant played the season as a backup to Kevin Johnson, before being released in the 1990 offseason.
The Suns entered the postseason as the fifth seed in the Western Conference, opening the playoffs against the fourth-seeded Utah Jazz. With stomach flu limiting All-Star point guard Kevin Johnson to only 9 minutes, the Jazz took game one with a 17-point victory in Salt Lake City. Johnson returned for game two, leading the Suns to an 18-point victory. After splitting two games in Phoenix, the Suns headed back to Salt Lake for the decisive fifth game. Kevin Johnson sealed the game with a last-second jump shot to give the Suns a 104âÂÂ102 victory.
The Suns would next face-off against the top-seeded Los Angeles Lakers, who finished the season with a league-best 63âÂÂ19 record. Coach Cotton Fitzsimmons came into game one with an 0âÂÂ37 record coaching against the Lakers at the Great Western Forum. The Suns had lost 21 consecutive games at the Forum dating back to 1984. They ended the streak with a 104âÂÂ102 upset, stealing homecourt advantage. Center Mark West led the Suns with 24 points, 16 rebounds and 7 blocks. The Lakers would recover in game two, blowing out the Suns 100âÂÂ124 to even the series. After winning games three and four in Phoenix, the Suns returned to the Forum with a 3âÂÂ1 series lead. Despite an early 15-point lead and a 43-point performance from MVP Magic Johnson, the Suns rallied to a 106âÂÂ103 victory, behind 37 points from Kevin Johnson.
The Suns headed to the Western Conference finals to face the Portland Trail Blazers. Looking to steal homecourt advantage for the third straight series, the Suns fell 98âÂÂ100 in a closely contested game one. A last second shot from reserve shooting guard Mike McGee was blocked by Blazers guard Danny Young. Game two saw the Suns run to a 22-point lead in the second quarter, finishing the first half leading 59âÂÂ41. The Blazers launched a furious second-half comeback, tying the game 106âÂÂ106 after a Terry Porter three-pointer with 28 seconds left. Kevin Johnson was immediately fouled, missing the first free throw and making the second to give the Suns a one-point lead. Porter would give the Blazers the lead after a 14-foot jump shot with 12 seconds left. Suns forward Eddie Johnson missed a 20-foot jumper with 4 seconds left, giving the Blazers a 108âÂÂ107 victory. The Suns would beat the Blazers by 34 and 12 in games three and four in Phoenix, before the Blazers retook the series lead with a 6-point victory in game five. Fortune turned against the Suns in game six, when Kevin Johnson went down with a hamstring injury at the end of the second quarter. Shooting guard Jeff Hornacek led the team in Johnson's absence, scoring a career playoff high 36 points. The Suns led 109âÂÂ108 with 55 seconds left in the game. Blazers forward Jerome Kersey blocked a shot by Hornacek and scored a fast-break layup, giving the Blazers a 110âÂÂ109 lead with 27 seconds left. Looking to regain the lead, Suns forward Tom Chambers had the ball stripped by Buck Williams. Star Clyde Drexler would make two free-throws to put the Blazers up 112âÂÂ109. Hornacek missed a last-second three-pointer, ending the Suns unlikely playoff run.
|- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 1 | April 27 | @ Utah | L 96âÂÂ113 | Dan Majerle (23) | Kurt Rambis (9) | Jeff Hornacek (6) | Salt Palace<br>12,616 | 0âÂÂ1 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 2 | April 29 | @ Utah | W 105âÂÂ87 | Kevin Johnson (22) | Mark West (21) | Kevin Johnson (7) | Salt Palace<br>12,616 | 1âÂÂ1 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 3 | May 2 | Utah | W 120âÂÂ105 | Kevin Johnson (29) | Mark West (10) | Kevin Johnson (12) | Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum<br>14,487 | 2âÂÂ1 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 4 | May 4 | Utah | L 94âÂÂ105 | Eddie Johnson (33) | Mark West (11) | Kevin Johnson (13) | Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum<br>14,487 | 2âÂÂ2 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 5 | May 6 | @ Utah | W 104âÂÂ102 | Tom Chambers (32) | Mark West (11) | Kevin Johnson (9) | Salt Palace<br>12,616 | 3âÂÂ2
|- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 1 | May 8 | @ L.A. Lakers | W 104âÂÂ102 | Tom Chambers (26) | Mark West (16) | Kevin Johnson (12) | Great Western Forum<br>17,505 | 1âÂÂ0 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 2 | May 10 | @ L.A. Lakers | L 100âÂÂ124 | Jeff Hornacek (18) | five players tied (5) | Kevin Johnson (12) | Great Western Forum<br>17,505 | 1âÂÂ1 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 3 | May 12 | L.A. Lakers | W 117âÂÂ103 | Tom Chambers (34) | Chambers, K. Johnson (7) | Kevin Johnson (8) | Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum<br>14,487 | 2âÂÂ1 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 4 | May 13 | L.A. Lakers | W 114âÂÂ101 | Kevin Johnson (30) | Mark West (15) | Kevin Johnson (16) | Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum<br>14,487 | 3âÂÂ1 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 5 | May 15 | @ L.A. Lakers | W 106âÂÂ103 | Kevin Johnson (37) | Mark West (16) | Kevin Johnson (8) | Great Western Forum<br>17,505 | 4âÂÂ1
|- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 1 | May 21 | @ Portland | L 98âÂÂ100 | Tom Chambers (29) | Mark West (12) | Kevin Johnson (11) | Memorial Coliseum<br>12,884 | 0âÂÂ1 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 2 | May 23 | @ Portland | L 107âÂÂ108 | Tom Chambers (28) | Tom Chambers (14) | Kevin Johnson (8) | Memorial Coliseum<br>12,884 | 0âÂÂ2 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 3 | May 25 | Portland | W 123âÂÂ89 | Tom Chambers (24) | Andrew Lang (10) | Kevin Johnson (12) | Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum<br>14,487 | 1âÂÂ2 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" | 4 | May 27 | Portland | W 119âÂÂ107 | Kevin Johnson (28) | Mark West (12) | Kevin Johnson (17) | Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum<br>14,487 | 2âÂÂ2 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 5 | May 29 | @ Portland | L 114âÂÂ120 | Kevin Johnson (28) | Tom Chambers (13) | Kevin Johnson (14) | Memorial Coliseum<br>12,884 | 2âÂÂ3 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 6 | May 31 | Portland | L 109âÂÂ112 | Jeff Hornacek (36) | Kurt Rambis (12) | Hornacek, K. Johnson (6) | Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum<br>14,487 | 2âÂÂ4 |-
<small>* â Stats with the Suns.</small><br> <small>â â Minimum 25 three-pointers made.</small><br> <small>^ â Minimum 125 free throws made.</small>
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