Phoenix Suns: Ranking the 5 best Christmas Day games in team history
By Ian Levy
2. Phoenix Suns vs. Houston Rockets, 1993
The 1993 Christmas Day matchup between the Phoenix Suns and the Houston Rockets turned out to be a matchup between two franchises heading in opposite directions. The Suns were in their second season with Charles Barkley and looking to return to the NBA Finals after losing to the Chicago Bulls the season before.
In this one, they pounded the Rockets, 111-91, with their stars blowing up. Barkley went for 38 points, 18 rebounds and 4 assists. Kevin Johnson 36 points and 9 assists and both Dan Majerle and A.C. Green scored in double-figures. Hakeem Olajuwon had a monster performance in the loss — 27 points, 13 rebounds, 6 assists, 3 steals, 4 blocks — but the rest of the team struggled, shooting just under 40 percent from the field and just 5-of-27 from beyond the arc.
This, however, may have been the high point of the Suns' season. They were 19-5 at this point (a 65-win pace) but went 37-21 (a 52-win pace) over the rest of the season The Rockets knocked them out of the Western Conference semifinals as they went on to their first of back-to-back titles.