| 1992–93 Phoenix Suns season | |
|---|---|
Conference champions | |
Division champions | |
| Head coach | Paul Westphal |
| General manager | Jerry Colangelo |
| Owner | Jerry Colangelo |
| Arena | America West Arena |
| Results | |
| Record | 62–20 (.756) |
| Place | Division: 1st (Pacific) Conference: 1st (Western) |
| Playoff finish | NBA Finals (lost to Bulls 2–4) |
Stats at Basketball Reference | |
| Local media | |
| Television | |
| Radio | KTAR |
The 1992–93 Phoenix Suns season was the 25th season for the Phoenix Suns in the National Basketball Association. [1] This season was most memorable for the Suns acquiring controversial All-Star power forward Charles Barkley from the Philadelphia 76ers, [2] [3] [4] signing free agent Danny Ainge, [5] [6] [7] and hiring Paul Westphal as their new head coach. [8] [9] [10] This was also the team's first season at their new arena, the America West Arena, which had a seating capacity of 19, 023.
The Suns had a successful regular season by posting a 14-game winning streak in December, [11] which led them to a 21–4 start to the season, held a 38–10 record at the All-Star break, [12] then posted an 11-game winning streak between March and April, finishing in first place in the Pacific Division with a league-best 62–20 record, and earning the first seed in the Western Conference. [13] The team set the franchise record for most wins in a season (the record was later tied in the 2004–05 season and later broken in the 2021-22 NBA season).
Barkley averaged 25.6 points, 12.1 rebounds, 5.1 assists and 1.6 steals per game, and was named to the All-NBA First Team, and was named the NBA Most Valuable Player of the Year, [14] [15] [16] while Dan Majerle averaged 16.9 points and 1.7 steals per game, finished tied in first place in the league with 167 three-point field goals, and was named to the NBA All-Defensive Second Team. In addition, point guard Kevin Johnson provided the team with 16.1 points, 7.8 assists and 1.7 steals per game, but only played just 49 games due to groin, hamstring and knee injuries, [17] [18] [19] and rookie forward Richard Dumas contributed 15.8 points and 1.8 steals per game, and was selected to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team, despite only playing just 48 games due to injury; Dumas was drafted by the Suns in the 1991 NBA draft, but was suspended for all of the previous season for violating the NBA's substance abuse policy.
Meanwhile, Cedric Ceballos provided with 12.8 points and 5.5 rebounds per game, and also led the league with .576 in field-goal percentage, while Tom Chambers played a sixth man role off the bench, averaging 12.2 points and 4.7 rebounds per game, and Ainge contributed 11.8 points per game and 150 three-point field goals, also off the bench. Negele Knight contributed 6.1 points per game, but only played 52 games due to injury, first-round draft pick Oliver Miller from the University of Arkansas provided with 5.6 points, 4.9 rebounds and led the team with 1.8 blocks per game off the bench, and starting center Mark West averaged 5.3 points, 5.6 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game. [20]
During the NBA All-Star weekend at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah, Barkley and Majerle were both selected for the 1993 NBA All-Star Game, as members of the Western Conference All-Star team, while Westphal was selected to coach the Western Conference. [21] [22] [23] In addition, Majerle also participated in the NBA Three-Point Shootout, [24] [25] while Ceballos participated in the NBA Slam Dunk Contest for the second consecutive year; Ceballos won the Slam Dunk Contest the previous year. [24] [25] Majerle finished tied in fifth place in Defensive Player of the Year voting, [26] while Ceballos finished tied in eleventh place in Most Improved Player voting, [26] Ainge finished tied in second place in Sixth Man of the Year voting, behind Clifford Robinson of the Portland Trail Blazers, and with Chambers finishing in fifth place, [27] [26] and Westphal finished in fourth place in Coach of the Year voting. [28] [26]
In the Western Conference First Round of the 1993 NBA playoffs, the Suns faced off against the 8th–seeded Los Angeles Lakers, a team that featured All-Star forward James Worthy, Sedale Threatt and Byron Scott. The Suns struggled and faced elimination as they lost their first two home games to the Lakers at the America West Arena, [29] [30] [31] but managed to win the next two games on the road at the Great Western Forum. The Suns then defeated the Lakers in Game 5 at home in overtime, 112–104, thus winning in a hard-fought five-game series. [32] [33] [34]
In the Western Conference Semi-finals, the team faced off against the 5th–seeded San Antonio Spurs, who were led by the trio of All-Star center David Robinson, All-Star forward Sean Elliott, and Dale Ellis. The Suns took a 2–0 series lead, but then lost the next two games to the Spurs on the road at the HemisFair Arena. After winning Game 5 at home, 109–97 at the America West Arena, the Suns defeated the Spurs in Game 6 at the HemisFair Arena, 102–100, as Barkley hit a game-winning buzzer-beater to win the series in six games. [35] [36] [37]
In the Western Conference Finals, the Suns then faced off against the 3rd–seeded Seattle SuperSonics, a team that featured All-Star forward Shawn Kemp, Ricky Pierce and Gary Payton. With the series tied at 3–3, the Suns defeated the SuperSonics in a hard-fought seven-game series, as Barkley scored 44 points along with 24 rebounds in Game 7, in which the Suns defeated the SuperSonics at home, 123–110 at the America West Arena; the Suns then reached the NBA Finals for the second time in franchise history. [38] [39] [40]
In the 1993 NBA Finals, the Suns faced off against the 2-time defending NBA champion Chicago Bulls, who were led by the trio of All-Star guard Michael Jordan, All-Star forward Scottie Pippen, and Horace Grant. The Suns lost the first two games at home to the Bulls, but managed to defeat them in Game 3 on the road in triple-overtime, 129–121 at the Chicago Stadium. The Suns went on to lose the series to the Bulls in six games; in Game 6 at Phoenix, Bulls reverse guard John Paxson made a game-winning three-point shot as the Bulls defeated the Suns, 99–98 to win their third consecutive NBA championship. [41] [42] [43] Following the season, Chambers signed as a free agent with the Utah Jazz after five seasons with the Suns. [44] [45] [46]
For the season, the Suns revealed a new primary logo, known as the "Streaking Sun" logo, and added a changed shade of purple to their color scheme of orange, [47] plus adding new uniforms, which featured the team's new logo on the front of their jerseys. [48] [49] The new primary logo and uniforms would both remain in use until 2000. The Suns finished fifth in the NBA in home-game attendance, with an attendance of 779,943 at the America West Arena during the regular season; [20] [50] the team also sold-out all 41 of their home games during the season.
This was the last time the Suns would reach the NBA Finals until the 2020–21 season.
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | Nationality | College |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 22 | Oliver Miller | Center | Arkansas | |
| 2 | 48 | Brian Davis | Forward | Duke | |
| 2 | 49 | Ron Ellis | Forward | Louisiana Tech | |
The Suns used their first-round pick to select center Oliver Miller from Arkansas. Miller averaged 12.2 points and 6.5 rebounds per game through four years with the Razorbacks. Miller would go on to play two seasons with the Suns before signing with the Detroit Pistons as a free agent in 1994. He would later return to the Suns in the 1999–2000 season. [51] Second-round picks Brian Davis and Ron Ellis were not signed by the Suns. Davis would later play with the Minnesota Timberwolves in the 1993–94 season, [52] while Ellis never played in the NBA.
On June 17, 1992, the Suns traded former All-Star Jeff Hornacek, Tim Perry, and Andrew Lang to the Philadelphia 76ers for All-Star forward Charles Barkley. [53] Barkley would play four seasons with the Suns before being traded to the Houston Rockets in 1996. Hornacek would play less than two seasons with the Sixers, Perry would play less than four, and Lang only one. Many consider the trade to be the best in Suns history. [54]
The Suns key off-season signing was veteran shooting guard Danny Ainge. Ainge would spend his last three seasons in the NBA with the Suns. [55] Point guard Frank Johnson was signed to back-up All-Star Kevin Johnson. [56] Forward/center Tim Kempton was signed, but played sparingly throughout the season. [57] Small forward Alex Stivrins was picked up in the off-season, but later waived. He would return with two 10-day contracts later in the season, but was again waived. [58]
| Players | Coaches | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Head coach Assistant(s) Legend
Roster |
In 1992, the Suns moved into their new arena in downtown Phoenix, the America West Arena. The arena was not the only new arrival into Phoenix though, as flamboyant all-star power forward Charles Barkley was traded from the Philadelphia 76ers for Jeff Hornacek, Andrew Lang, and Tim Perry. Barkley would go on to win his first and only MVP in his first year with Phoenix in 1993.
In addition to Barkley, the Suns added some key players to their roster, amongst them Danny Ainge. Also making his Suns debut was their 1991 first round draft pick, Oklahoma State forward Richard Dumas, who missed the previous season due to a drug-related suspension.
| W | L | PCT | GB | Home | Road | Div | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| y- Phoenix Suns | 62 | 20 | .756 | — | 35–6 | 27–14 | 21–9 |
| x- Seattle SuperSonics | 55 | 27 | .671 | 7 | 33–8 | 22–19 | 22–8 |
| x- Portland Trail Blazers | 51 | 31 | .622 | 11 | 30–11 | 21–20 | 19–11 |
| x- Los Angeles Clippers | 41 | 41 | .500 | 21 | 27–14 | 14–27 | 15–15 |
| x- Los Angeles Lakers | 39 | 43 | .476 | 23 | 20–21 | 19–22 | 13–17 |
| Golden State Warriors | 34 | 48 | .415 | 28 | 19–22 | 15–26 | 9–21 |
| Sacramento Kings | 25 | 57 | .305 | 37 | 16–25 | 9–32 | 6–24 |
| # | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team | W | L | PCT | GB | |
| 1 | z-Phoenix Suns | 62 | 20 | .756 | – |
| 2 | y-Houston Rockets | 55 | 27 | .671 | 7 |
| 3 | x-Seattle SuperSonics | 55 | 27 | .671 | 7 |
| 4 | x-Portland Trail Blazers | 51 | 31 | .622 | 11 |
| 5 | x-San Antonio Spurs | 49 | 33 | .598 | 13 |
| 6 | x-Utah Jazz | 47 | 35 | .573 | 15 |
| 7 | x-Los Angeles Clippers | 41 | 41 | .500 | 21 |
| 8 | x-Los Angeles Lakers | 39 | 43 | .476 | 23 |
| 9 | Denver Nuggets | 36 | 46 | .439 | 26 |
| 10 | Golden State Warriors | 34 | 48 | .415 | 28 |
| 11 | Sacramento Kings | 25 | 57 | .305 | 37 |
| 12 | Minnesota Timberwolves | 19 | 63 | .232 | 43 |
| 13 | Dallas Mavericks | 11 | 71 | .134 | 51 |
Under rookie head coach Paul Westphal (a former Suns assistant and, as a player, member of the 1976 Suns squad that went to the NBA Finals), the Suns squad consisting mostly of Barkley, Majerle, Johnson and Ainge won 62 games that year. After eliminating the Lakers (against whom they came back from an 0–2 deficit preventing them from being the first eight-seeded team to eliminate the top seeded team in the first round), Spurs, and Sonics, the Suns advanced to the Finals for the second time in franchise history. They eventually lost to the Bulls, led by Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen. This series included a triple-overtime game (Game 3) that along with game 5 of the 1976 series are the only triple overtime games in the history of the NBA finals. [59] [60] Approximately 300,000 fans braved the 105 degree heat to celebrate the memorable season in the streets of Phoenix. [61]
| 1993 playoff game log | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Western Conference First Round: 3–2 (home: 1–2; road: 2–0)
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Western Conference Semifinals: 4–2 (home: 3–0; road: 1–2)
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Western Conference Finals: 4–3 (home: 3–1; road: 1–2)
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NBA Finals: 2–4 (home: 0–3; road: 2–1)
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| 1993 schedule | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The 1993 NBA Finals was the championship round of the 1992–93 NBA season, featuring the Chicago Bulls, led by Michael Jordan, and the Phoenix Suns, winners of 62 games and led by regular season MVP Charles Barkley. The Bulls became the first team since the legendary Boston Celtics of the 1960s to win three consecutive championship titles, clinching the "three-peat" with John Paxson's game-winning 3-pointer that gave them a 99–98 victory in Game 6.
| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field-goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field-goal percentage | FT% | Free-throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game |
| Player | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Danny Ainge | 80 | 0 | 27.0 | .462 | .403 | .848 | 2.7 | 3.3 | 0.9 | 0.1 | 11.8 |
| Charles Barkley | 76 | 76 | 37.6 | .520 | .305 | .765 | 12.2 | 5.1 | 1.6 | 1.0 | 25.6 |
| Cedric Ceballos | 74 | 46 | 21.7 | .576† | .000 | .725 | 5.5 | 1.0 | 0.7 | 0.4 | 12.8 |
| Tom Chambers | 73 | 0 | 23.6 | .447 | .393 | .837 | 4.7 | 1.4 | 0.6 | 0.3 | 12.2 |
| Richard Dumas | 48 | 32 | 27.5 | .524 | .333 | .707 | 4.6 | 1.3 | 1.8 | 0.8 | 15.8 |
| Frank Johnson | 77 | 0 | 14.6 | .436 | .083 | .776 | 1.5 | 2.4 | 0.8 | 0.1 | 4.3 |
| Kevin Johnson | 49 | 47 | 33.5 | .499 | .125 | .819 | 2.1 | 7.8 | 1.7 | 0.4 | 16.1 |
| Tim Kempton | 30 | 0 | 5.6 | .396 | . | .581 | 1.3 | 0.6 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 1.9 |
| Negele Knight | 52 | 35 | 17.1 | .391 | .000 | .779 | 1.2 | 2.8 | 0.4 | 0.1 | 6.1 |
| Dan Majerle | 82 | 82 | 39.0 | .464 | .381 | .778 | 4.7 | 3.8 | 1.7 | 0.4 | 16.9 |
| Oliver Miller | 56 | 1 | 19.1 | .475 | .000 | .710 | 4.9 | 2.1 | 0.7 | 1.8 | 5.6 |
| Jerrod Mustaf | 32 | 9 | 10.5 | .438 | .000 | .623 | 2.6 | 0.3 | 0.5 | 0.3 | 4.6 |
| Kurt Rambis * | 5 | 0 | 8.2 | .571 | . | .500 | 1.2 | 0.2 | 0.6 | 0.0 | 1.8 |
| Alex Stivrins * | 10 | 0 | 3.5 | .611 | .000 | . | 0.8 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 2.2 |
| Mark West | 82 | 82 | 19.0 | .614† | . | .518 | 5.6 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 1.3 | 5.3 |
* – Stats with the Suns.
† – Minimum 300 field goals made.
| Player | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Danny Ainge | 24 | 0 | 24.6 | .376 | .413 | .872 | 2.5 | 2.3 | 0.5 | 0.1 | 8.1 |
| Charles Barkley | 24 | 24 | 42.8 | .477 | .222 | .771 | 13.6 | 4.3 | 1.6 | 1.0 | 26.6 |
| Cedric Ceballos | 16 | 3 | 11.6 | .571 | . | .727 | 2.3 | 0.8 | 0.3 | 0.4 | 6.0 |
| Tom Chambers | 24 | 1 | 15.7 | .388 | .400 | .815 | 2.7 | 0.5 | 0.2 | 0.4 | 7.3 |
| Richard Dumas | 23 | 20 | 21.7 | .525 | .000 | .755 | 2.8 | 1.0 | 0.9 | 0.6 | 10.9 |
| Frank Johnson | 22 | 0 | 7.8 | .440 | .333 | .862 | 0.5 | 0.8 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 3.2 |
| Kevin Johnson | 23 | 23 | 39.7 | .480 | .000 | .795 | 2.7 | 7.9 | 1.5 | 0.6 | 17.8 |
| Negele Knight | 9 | 1 | 3.8 | .563 | . | . | 0.3 | 0.8 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 2.0 |
| Dan Majerle | 24 | 24 | 44.6 | .431 | .394 | .696 | 5.8 | 3.7 | 1.4 | 1.2 | 15.4 |
| Oliver Miller | 24 | 0 | 21.4 | .587† | .000 | .564 | 5.2 | 2.1 | 0.9 | 2.5 | 7.2 |
| Jerrod Mustaf | 7 | 0 | 1.4 | .600† | . | . | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.9 |
| Mark West | 24 | 24 | 19.5 | .544 | . | .609 | 4.1 | 0.5 | 0.2 | 1.4 | 4.8 |
† – Minimum 20 field goals made. Player statistics citation: [20]
| June 17, 1992 | To Philadelphia 76ers | To Phoenix Suns |
| Date | Player | Signed | Former Team |
|---|---|---|---|
| July 3, 1992 | Danny Ainge | Signed 3-year contract for $5.2 million | Portland Trail Blazers |
| August 18, 1992 | Tim Kempton | Signed multi-year contract | Denver Nuggets |
| September 29, 1992 | Alex Stivrins | Undisclosed | Seattle SuperSonics |
| October 8, 1992 | Frank Johnson | Undisclosed | Orlando Magic |
| November 5, 1992 | Frank Johnson | Signed one-year contract for $140,000 | Phoenix Suns |
| March 31, 1993 | Alex Stivrins | Signed two 10-day contracts | Milwaukee Bucks |
| Date | Player | Reason left | New team |
|---|---|---|---|
| June 17, 1992 | Steve Burtt | Waived | Washington Bullets |
| September 24, 1992 | Chad Gallagher | Released | Utah Jazz |
| October 22, 1992 | Brad Davis | Waived | Minnesota Timberwolves |
| November 3, 1992 | Frank Johnson | Waived | Phoenix Suns |
| November 5, 1992 | Ed Nealy | Waived | Golden State Warriors |
| November 20, 1992 | Kurt Rambis | Waived | Sacramento Kings |
| December 28, 1992 | Alex Stivrins | Waived | Atlanta Hawks |
| April 11, 1993 | Alex Stivrins | Waived | Omaha Racers |
Player Transactions Citation: [62]