1991–92 Phoenix Suns season

(lost to Trail Blazers 1–4)

• KUTP
• ASPN The 1991–92 Phoenix Suns season was the 24th season for the Phoenix Suns in the National Basketball Association. 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. The Suns were led by head coach Cotton Fitzsimmons, which would be the last of his four-season second stint as coach of the Suns. This was also the team's final season playing at the Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum.

The Suns got off to a slow 5–9 start to the regular season, but then posted a nine-game winning streak as they won 14 of their next 15 games, and held a 32–16 record at the All-Star break. The Suns finished in third place in the Pacific Division with a 53–29 record, and earned 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 5th–seeded 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, 101–92 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 top–seeded, 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 2–0 series lead, but the Suns managed to win Game 3 at home, 124–117 at the Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum. After losing Game 4 at home in double-overtime, 153–151, the Suns lost Game 5 to the Trail Blazers on the road, 118–106 at the Memorial Coliseum, as the team lost 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.

Following the season, Hornacek, Perry and Lang were all traded to the Philadelphia 76ers, after Hornacek spent six seasons with the Suns.