The Phoenix Suns spent the first 79 games of the NBA season in a vain attempt to lock up a top-six seed in the Western Conference playoffs.
Their task now is to hang on to postseason spot No. 7.
The Suns (43-36) blew a 21-point lead and were crushed 55-34 on the boards in a 119-105 home loss to Houston on Tuesday in an outcome that dropped them into a play-in tournament position after Minnesota (47-32) won at Indiana.
Phoenix will close its home season in the second game of a back-to-back set when it faces the Dallas Mavericks (25-54) and top NBA Rookie of the Year candidate Cooper Flagg on Wednesday night before finishing on the road against the Los Angeles Lakers and Oklahoma City.
The regular season will end April 12.
“We are trying to get better and be perfect for 48 minutes, and that has been our focus for the last few weeks,” Suns reserve guard Grayson Allen said.
“Not looking ahead but thinking ahead on what we are prepared for, and that is the postseason. It will be the same thing these last few games, try and put perfect stretches together.”
The Suns have clinched a postseason berth, but their hold on the No. 7 seed is tenuous. They have lost nine of 13 games and are just two ahead of the eighth-place Los Angeles Clippers (41-38).
The Clippers have home games remaining against Oklahoma City and Golden State and a road contest at Portland.
The Suns and Clippers split the four-game season series, and the Suns currently hold the tiebreaker advantage because of a better Pacific Division record (10-6 vs. 9-6).
Each team has one division game remaining.
Devin Booker had 31 points and eight assists against Houston, but the Suns could not keep the Rockets off the boards. Houston turned 24 offensive rebounds into 37 second-chance points.
“One-shot defense was great, then it fell apart,” Suns coach Jordan Ott said.
The Suns’ Jordan Goodwin made his second straight start at small forward on Tuesday as Ott worked to find a balance between his first and second groups. Goodwin had 11 points, three 3-pointers, four rebounds, two steals and two assists.
“We know with his improved shooting that he can definitely pop, and we feel comfortable playing through him in that role,” Ott said. “I feel comfortable wherever he’s at.”
Flagg had 25 points, nine rebounds and two assists in the Mavericks’ 116-103 road loss to the Clippers on Tuesday and has 121 points in his last three games.
The 6-foot-9 Flagg and former Duke teammate Kon Knueppel of the Charlotte Hornets probably are 1-2 in some order in the Rookie of the Year chase, although Flagg appeared to take a final step by scoring 51 points against Orlando on Friday, then getting 45 with eight rebounds and nine assists against the Lakers on Sunday.
“I think it is definitely some sort of statement,” Flagg said. “I’m confident in myself and I know what I am capable of. Just let the rest of the stuff figure itself out.”
Mavericks coach Jason Kidd has been in a similar situation. Kidd was the 1995 co-Rookie of the Year with the Mavericks, tying with Detroit’s Grant Hill.
“I don’t know if he’s making a closing statement,” Kidd said. “He just doing what he has been doing all season, being able to play different positions, being able to be uncomfortable. Has never complained and has delivered for us.”
Flagg often faces the opponent’s best wing defender.
“For him to be able to deliver, it’s not easy,” Kidd said, “I know he makes it look easy. That’s how special he is. That’s only going to make him better.”
