The 1991âÂÂ92 Phoenix Suns season was the 24th season for the Phoenix Suns in the National Basketball Association. This was also the team's final season in which they played their home games at the Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum. During the off-season, the Suns acquired three-point specialist Trent Tucker from the New York Knicks; however, Tucker never played for the team as he was released to free agency, and later on signed with the San Antonio Spurs.
After a 3âÂÂ2 start to the regular season, the Suns struggled posting a six-game losing streak, which led to a 3âÂÂ8 start to the season. However, the team soon recovered by posting a nine-game winning streak between November and December, then later on posting a seven-game winning streak in January, and holding a 32âÂÂ16 record at the All-Star break. The Suns posted a six-game winning streak between March and April, and finished in third place in the Pacific Division with a 53âÂÂ29 record, which earned them the fourth seed in the Western Conference.
Jeff Hornacek averaged 20.1 points, 5.0 rebounds, 5.1 assists and 2.0 steals per game, while Kevin Johnson averaged 19.7 points, 10.7 assists and 1.5 steals per game, and was named to the All-NBA Third Team, and sixth man Dan Majerle provided the team with 17.3 points, 5.9 rebounds and 1.6 steals per game off the bench. In addition, Tom Chambers contributed 16.3 points and 5.8 rebounds per game, while Tim Perry showed improvement becoming the team's starting small forward averaging 12.3 points, 6.9 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game, and Andrew Lang replaced Mark West as the team's starting center this season, averaging 7.7 points, 6.7 rebounds and leading the team with 2.5 blocks per game. Meanwhile, second-year forward Cedric Ceballos contributed 7.2 points per game, West averaged 6.1 points and 4.5 rebounds per game, and second-year guard Negele Knight provided with 5.8 points and 2.7 assists per game.
During the NBA All-Star weekend at the Orlando Arena in Orlando, Florida, Hornacek and Majerle were both selected for the 1992 NBA All-Star Game, as members of the Western Conference All-Star team; it was the first All-Star appearance for both players, and the only appearance for Hornacek. In addition, Hornacek also participated in the NBA Three-Point Shootout, and Ceballos won the NBA Slam Dunk Contest. Johnson finished in 15th place in Most Valuable Player voting, while Majerle finished in third place in Sixth Man of the Year voting, and Perry finished tied in sixth place in Most Improved Player voting.
In the Western Conference First Round of the 1992 NBA playoffs, the Suns faced off against the 5thâÂÂseeded Spurs, who were led by Terry Cummings, Sean Elliott and Rod Strickland; the Spurs were without All-Star center, and Defensive Player of the Year, David Robinson, who was out due to a season-ending thumb injury. The Suns won the first two games over the Spurs at home at the Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum, before winning Game 3 on the road, 101âÂÂ92 at the HemisFair Arena to win the series in a three-game sweep.
In the Western Conference Semi-finals, the team faced off against the topâÂÂseeded, and Pacific Division champion Portland Trail Blazers, a team that featured All-Star guard Clyde Drexler, All-Star guard Terry Porter, and Jerome Kersey. The Trail Blazers took a 2âÂÂ0 series lead, but the Suns managed to win Game 3 at home, 124âÂÂ117 at the Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum. After losing Game 4 at home in double-overtime, 153âÂÂ151, the Suns lost Game 5 to the Trail Blazers on the road, 118âÂÂ106 at the Memorial Coliseum, thus losing the series in five games. The Trail Blazers would lose in six games to the defending NBA champion Chicago Bulls in the 1992 NBA Finals.
The Suns finished 17th in the NBA in home-game attendance, with an attendance of 594,327 at the Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum during the regular season. Following the season, Hornacek, Perry and Lang were all traded to the Philadelphia 76ers, after Hornacek spent six seasons with the Suns, and head coach Cotton Fitzsimmons resigned, ending his four-season second stint as coach of the Suns.
None of the three players that the Suns selected in the 1991 NBA draft would play with the Suns this season. Both Chad Gallagher and Joey Wright were cut from the team before the regular season began, while Richard Dumas showcased promising talents early on in training camp, but was suspended from the team for the entire season due to substance abuse violations. Dumas would, however, return to the Suns to play what became his proper rookie season the following season afterward.
|- | 1 | April 24 | San Antonio | W 117âÂÂ111 | Dan Majerle (25) | Cedric Ceballos (9) | Kevin Johnson (17) | Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum<br>14,496 | 1âÂÂ0 |- | 2 | April 26 | San Antonio | W 119âÂÂ107 | Hornacek, Perry (31) | Lang, Perry (10) | Kevin Johnson (19) | Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum<br>14,496 | 2âÂÂ0 |- | 3 | April 29 | @ San Antonio | W 101âÂÂ92 | Hornacek, Johnson (22) | Tim Perry (9) | Kevin Johnson (11) | HemisFair Arena<br>14,853 | 3âÂÂ0
|- | 1 | May 5 | @ Portland | L 111âÂÂ113 | Kevin Johnson (24) | Chambers, Johnson (8) | Jeff Hornacek (12) | Memorial Coliseum<br>12,888 | 0âÂÂ1 |- | 2 | May 7 | @ Portland | L 119âÂÂ126 | Kevin Johnson (35) | Jeff Hornacek (11) | Dan Majerle (6) | Memorial Coliseum<br>12,888 | 0âÂÂ2 |- | 3 | May 9 | Portland | W 124âÂÂ117 | Jeff Hornacek (30) | Majerle, Perry (9) | Kevin Johnson (16) | Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum<br>14,496 | 1âÂÂ2 |- | 4 | May 11 | Portland | L 151âÂÂ153 (2OT) | Kevin Johnson (35) | Dan Majerle (11) | Kevin Johnson (14) | Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum<br>14,496 | 1âÂÂ3 |- | 5 | May 14 | @ Portland | L 106âÂÂ118 | Chambers, Perry (19) | Tom Chambers (8) | Kevin Johnson (6) | Memorial Coliseum<br>12,888 | 1âÂÂ4 |-
<small>â â Minimum 20 field goals made.</small><br> <small>^ â Minimum 5 three-pointers made.</small><br> <small>+ â Minimum 10 free throws made.</small>
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