From the Archives: Chicago Beats Phoenix Again, 32 Years Later

By the Suns Nightly Desk · Thursday, October 8

Chicago beat Phoenix 124-117 Tuesday, the same franchise that beat the Suns in six games in the 1993 Finals, the peak of the Charles Barkley era. Devin Booker, re-signed through 2029-30 for the richest annual salary in NBA history, is now the only strand left connecting this teardown roster to those three Finals runs.

Suns Nightly artwork — Illustration by Hoops Nightly.

1993, the last Finals. Charles Barkley arrived from Philadelphia in 1992 for Jeff Hornacek, Andrew Lang and Tim Perry, won MVP and pushed Phoenix to a franchise-record 62 wins. The Bulls beat the Suns in six games for the title. Chicago beat Phoenix again Tuesday, 124-117, with Dillon Brooks scoring 24.

Three Finals, no title. Garfield Heard's shot forced a third overtime in the 1976 Finals before Boston won in six. Chris Paul, Booker, Deandre Ayton and Mikal Bridges lost to the Bucks in six in 2021. Phoenix owns the NBA's fifth-best all-time winning percentage and the highest among teams with zero championships.

Booker, the last thread. Every other name from that 2021 run is gone. Booker signed a two-year, $145 million extension through 2029-30, the richest annual salary in league history, and now answers to Jordan Ott, his third head coach in three seasons.

16-66, then a name. Phoenix joined the league in 1968 alongside Milwaukee, paid a $2 million entry fee and went 16-66 under 28-year-old general manager Jerry Colangelo. The Arizona Republic's name-the-team contest produced 'Suns.' Fifty-eight years later, the roster is rebuilding again, still 0-0 with three preseason games left before the opener.

Brooks and the Bulls. Dillon Brooks came to Phoenix in July's seven-team trade that sent Kevin Durant to Houston. He led all scorers with 24 against Chicago Tuesday, going 7 of 9 from the field, against the same franchise that ended the Suns' best shot at a championship three decades ago.

McCoy's three Finals. Al McCoy, hired in 1972, called every one of Phoenix's three Finals runs and remains the NBA's longest-tenured broadcaster. He is still on the call as Ott tries to build a fourth.

On deck The Suns host the Spurs October 10 on ESPN2, then play San Antonio again on the road October 14 and Utah at home October 16 before the regular-season opener October 21 at Portland.

Have the Suns ever won an NBA championship?

No. Phoenix has reached three NBA Finals, in 1976, 1993 and 2021, and lost all three, giving the franchise the NBA's highest winning percentage among teams with no title.

Who is the last Suns player to win MVP?

Charles Barkley won MVP in 1992-93, the same season Phoenix set a then-franchise record with 62 wins before losing that year's Finals to Chicago.