Suns Talking About Being Team of ‘90s

After eliminating the team of the ‘80s, the Phoenix Suns say they’re ready to stake their claim as the NBA’s team of the 1990s.

The Suns arrived at Sky Harbor International Airport about 1 a.m. and were greeted by 9,000 screaming fans jamming the concourse level.

“It’s amazing how much basketball can do for the morale of a city,” guard Kevin Johnson said.

Phoenix advanced to the Western Conference finals for the second consecutive year by beating the Lakers, 106-103, Tuesday night. (Story, C1).

“We want to be the team of the next decade,” said Johnson, who scored a playoff career-high 37 points in Game 5. “We want to play well not just for one year, but for the decade. The way to do that is to start here.”

But Johnson said the Lakers will remain a power to be reckoned with.

“This is just our year to beat them. As long as they have Magic Johnson, they’ll be a great team,” he said.

The Lakers were great during the regular season, going 63-19 for the league’s best record. But they came into the playoffs flat, and, with the exception of a few explosive quarters, remained that way.

“We really played out of character against Houston and Phoenix,” Lakers Coach Pat Riley said. “We played like we were capable of playing in maybe 2 1/2 of our nine playoff games.”

In the ‘80s, the Lakers won eight consecutive division titles and five world championships.

“It’s a great win for our team, our fans and our whole city--and it’s about time,” said Suns President Jerry Colangelo, who coached the team in 1970 when it blew a 3-1 lead against the Lakers and lost a seven-game playoff series. “This is a milestone.”

“It feels like the world championship,” all-star forward Tom Chambers said. “But it’s only the second round. We have to continue to play like this and not let this be the end of it.”

Phoenix has won only one conference title, in 1976. The Suns upset the Golden State Warriors in seven games that year, then lost to the Boston Celtics in six games in the NBA Finals. It’s the only time in the Suns’ 22-year history they have played for the league championship.

This season, the Suns struggled through injuries to a 54-28 record and needed a last-second jumper by Johnson in Game 5 at Utah to eliminate the Jazz in the first round.

“The Suns are a great team. If they continue to play like they did against us, they are going to have a dream season,” Riley said. “They have a lot of great weapons and they have a great opportunity to win the NBA championship.”