Tonight’s game against Portland is seemingly just another difficult game in the competitive Western Conference. However for the Phoenix Suns, it means so much more. With this being the final home game before the trade deadline, this could be the last time we see Amare Stoudemire in a Suns home jersey. With a win tonight the Suns could potentially be as high as the 4thseed in the Western Conference going into the All-Star break and with a loss, the Suns could slip to as far as 7th.

This is life in the Western Conference these days. One loss can move a team completely out of playoff contention. This is evidenced by the fact that the current 5-11 seeds in the West are only spaced out by 4 1/2 games. Its not as if playing the Eastern Conference is helping widen the gap, as no current Western Conference team holding one of the top 8 seeds has a losing record against the Eastern Conference.  Thus the impact of tonight’s game is amplified as the Suns do not play again until February 16that Memphis. A loss tonight could be painful to endure over the next week. In addition, if a loss coupled with a trade of Amare Stoudemire occurs, the team could once again plummet into free fall.

The chances of an Amare trade however are becoming slimmer as the days and wins continue to progress. The main concern with potential suitors is the same concern the Suns have. Will Amare Stoudemire re-sign with the team this off-season? The Philadelphia 76ers, Miami Heat, Detroit Pistons, New Jersey Nets and Cleveland Cavaliers have all inquired about Stoudemire, however the only realistic trade lies in Philadelphia. Miami would love to add Amare in tandem with Dwayne Wade and hopefully entice both into signing long-term deals in the off-season. Unfortunately for Pat Riley and the Heat, they simply do not have the pieces the Suns want in return for Stoudemire.

The Suns should be able to beat the Blazers tonight on their home court. Of course, these Suns always seem to falter in games they are supposed to win. With the absence of Brandon Roy, the Blazers offense has really taken a major hit. In their past 2 games against the Lakers and Thunder, they have only been able to muster 82 and 77 points respectively. If the Suns can even come close to their league leading scoring average of 110.1 ppg they should win this game handily.