When did the Phoenix Suns last make the NBA Playoffs before 2021 and how did they fare then?

The 2020-21 NBA season has been highly fruitful for the Phoenix Suns. Chris Paul was added to a roster filled with impressive young players such as Devin Booker, DeAndre Ayton and Mikal Bridges. This meant that they had the second-best record in the NBA Western Conference this season. They finished the regular season with a 9-3 record, a form that they brought forth to the NBA Playoffs as well.

Round 1 saw them cruise past the LA Lakers 4-2, who were dealing with the absence of Anthony Davis, with LeBron James also not at his very best. The Suns made easy work of the Denver Nuggets in the Western Conference semifinals and rushed to a 4-0 win.

PHOENIX IS GOING TO THE WESTERN CONFERENCE FINALS ☀️The Suns advance to their first WCF since 2010 #NBAPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/SqdAPwn5TM

— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) June 14, 2021

In this article, we look at how the Phoenix Suns fared the last time they made it to the NBA playoffs, way back during the 2009-10 NBA season.

How did the Phoenix Suns fare the last time they made it to the NBA Playoffs?

Back in 2009-10, the Phoenix Suns finished 2nd in the NBA Pacific division with a 54-28 record. They had the likes of six-time All-Star Amar'e Stoudemire and NBA legend and then veteran Steve Nash leading the roster. Stoudemire finished the season averaging 23.1 points along with 8.9 rebounds whilst also being the most efficient shooter on the roster.

Steve Nash, on the other hand, had 16.5 points per game and shot at 42.6% from the three-point zone throughout the season. The Phoenix Suns were up against the Portland Trail Blazers in round 1 of the Playoffs, a team led by the young core of LaMarcus Aldridge and Brandon Roy.

The Phoenix Suns have not been to the playoffs since 2010. But they’re back. The @Suns are currently number 1 in the west and have a 46-18 record. Best in the @nba .Tomorrow on “The Rex Chapman Show with super sexy Josh Hopkins” — we have Suns General Manager James Jones... pic.twitter.com/XvmyS4ysYh

— Rex Chapman🏇🏼 (@RexChapman) May 3, 2021

The Suns also relied on their your role players, with the likes of Jared Dudley, Goran Dragic and Robin Lopez also playing big roles throughout the regular season. The series was tied 2-2 at the end of four matches but an inspired bench effort from Dragic and Channing Frye in game 5 and Jason Richardson’s 28-point performance in game 6 helped the Phoenix Suns win 4-2.

Steve Nash was inspirational throughout the series and had three double-doubles. He was even more impressive in the Western Conference Semifinals against the San Antonio Spurs and produced a stat line of 33 points and 10 assists in game 1. Stoudamire was still the Phoenix Suns' most prolific scorer, as he averaged 20.5 points and helped the Suns to a 4-0 series win.

The Suns then took on Kobe Bryant’s LA Lakers in the Western Conference finals. Bryant started the series in dominant fashion, scoring 40 points in the first game along with 21 points and 13 assists in the next. However, the Phoenix Suns fought back, with Stoudamire dropping 42 points in game 3 and Steve Nash producing three double-doubles in the first four games.

Los Angeles Lakers v Phoenix Suns - Game One

The series was tied at 2-2, as Metta World Piece dropped a surprising 25-point performance in Game 5. Pau Gasol and Derek Fisher came to the party in the final game of the series. The LA Lakers won 4-2, as the Phoenix Suns were knocked out. The Suns have qualified for the Western Conference finals where they will take on the winners of the series between the Clippers and the Utah Jazz. They have a chance of doing better than they did the last time they made it to the NBA playoffs.