NBA Playoffs: 9 Most Heartbreaking Losses in Phoenix Suns History (Video)

Since the Phoenix Suns franchise was founded over four decades ago (1968), the team and its fans have experienced more than a fair share of postseason heartbreak.

The Suns remain one of the league's most successful teams despite never having won an NBA Championship, appearing in the NBA Finals only twice in franchise history (losing in six games on both occasions).

Recently the Suns and their fan base have witnessed heartbreak in the cruelest form, losing at the buzzer in a pivotal Game 5 of the 2010 Western Conference Finals, and watching the eventual NBA Champions steal a Game 5 in the desert while their star forward was forced to watch from the sideline.

Join Bleacher Report as we count down the nine most unforgettably-stinging losses in Phoenix Suns playoff history.

No. 9: 1990 Western Conference Finals Game 1 (Portland 100, Phoenix 98)

The "Cinderella" Suns won their way to the Western Conference Finals in 1990 despite being a No. 5 seed, beating the No. 1 seeded L.A. Lakers in the conference semifinals.

Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals in Portland seemed like an excellent opportunity for Phoenix to grab a 1-0 series edge and potentially make a run at the 1990 NBA Finals.

It was not to be however, as Portland's Kevin Duckworth nailed a jump shot with 17.3 seconds left off of a broken play to give the Trail Blazers the lead and the win, 100-98.

Portland would go on to win Game 2 before falling in both games in Phoenix.

With the series tied, the Trail Blazers would hold serve at home in Game 5, winning 120-114, and eventually take the series in six games, winning Game 6 in the desert by just 3 points.

No. 8: 2006 Western Conference First Round Game 4 (L.A. 99, Phoenix 98 (OT))

The Suns faced a critical situation in Game 4 of their first round series with the L.A. Lakers, win and take back home court advantage in the series, or lose and face a 3-1 series deficit.

Unfortunately for Phoenix, Kobe Bryant would will the Lakers back in the final moments of regulation to force overtime, before sinking a mid-range jump shot at the buzzer to give L.A. a 99-98 win and a commanding 3-1 series lead.

However the jubilation in Hollywood would not last long as the Suns became just the eighth team in history to overcome a 3-1 deficit, winning 3-straight against the Lakers, including a Game 6 overtime thriller.

Even though Phoenix won the war, they lost the battle, and hearing Mike Breen's final call of Game 4 still pains me to this very day.

"Bryant for the win...BANG!!!"

No. 7: 2007 Western Conference Semifinals Game 5 (San Antonio 88, Phoenix 85)

In a series that seemed to evidence that the Suns were finally ready to win a title, Phoenix was held back and ultimately undone by bad break after bad break.

In Game 1 in Phoenix, MVP point guard Steve Nash was forced to sit out during the game's waning moments with a bloody nose, while forwards Amar'e Stoudemire and Boris Diaw were suspended for the series' pivotal Game 5 match up back in Phoenix after leaving the bench area in a Game 4 altercation.

The latter would prove an insurmountable blow to the Suns title hopes however, as Phoenix, missing two key players, would build an unthinkable 16-point lead before watching the Spurs come all the way back to tie the game and eventually take the lead on a Bruce Bowen 3-pointer from the corner.

The Suns could not overcome San Antonio's dagger and went on to lose Game 6 and the series back in Texas.

No. 6: 1979 Western Conference Finals Game 6 (Seattle 106, Phoenix 105)

After trailing in the 1979 Western Conference Finals 2-0 to the Seattle Supersonics, the Phoenix Suns won 3-staight, including a road win in Game 5 to capture a remarkable 3-2 series lead.

The Suns would return to Phoenix for a monumental Game 6, but found themselves a lot less luckier than they had been in the series' previous contests.

Phoenix would wind up on the wrong end of a 106-105 result that forced a Game 7 back in Seattle.

The Suns would rally in the final moments of Game 7 (as seen in the video) but fell 114-110, losing the series 4-3.

The Sonics would go on to win the 1979 NBA Championship, the only title in the franchise's history.

No. 5: 2008 Western Conference First Round Game 1 (S.A. 117, Phoenix 115 (2OT))

The Suns led by as many as 16 points in Game 1 on the road against the defending champion San Antonio Spurs in 2008, but again failed to close.

San Antonio's Michael Finley drained a three-pointer to tie the game at 93-93, forcing the first of two overtimes.

Phoenix would again lead by three points in the closing moments of the first overtime, before Tim Duncan dropped in a rare three-pointer from the right wing to tie the game with three seconds remaining in overtime.

The teams would stay close throughout the second overtime until an acrobatic driving layup from Manu Ginobili gave San Antonio the lead with less than two seconds left.

The Spurs would win the game and the series in five games, ending the Mike D'Antoni era in the desert.

No. 4: 2010 Western Conference Finals Game 5 (Los Angeles 103, Phoenix 101)

After tying the series at two games apiece with two consecutive home wins in the 2010 Western Conference Finals, the Suns returned to L.A. for a series-shifting Game 5.

Phoenix fell behind in the second quarter and trailed by as many as 18 points in the third quarter before making a late-game comeback.

The Suns would eventually tie the game at 101-101 with a Jason Richardson miracle 3-pointer, only to watch the Lakers take the game and a 3-2 series lead on the very next play, a Ron Artest buzzer-beating layup off of a Kobe Bryant air ball (only the Suns).

Phoenix would return home for Game 6, with a chance to tie the series and force a Game 7 back in Los Angeles, but fell behind early and lost the game and the series.

No. 3: 1976 NBA Finals Game 5 (Boston 128, Phoenix 126 (3OT))

With the 1976 NBA Finals tied 2-2, the Boston Celtics and Phoenix Suns would meet in a pivotal Game 5 in Boston Garden to determine who would be heading back to the desert with a 3-2 series lead.

The Celtics jumped out early, leading by 18 points at the end of the first quarter, but the Suns would come back, led by Paul Westphal.

Phoenix would outscore Boston in the fourth quarter, forcing overtime at 95-95.

Both teams were tied at 101-101 at the end of the first extra period, and then again at the end of the second overtime, which featured a plethora of controversy and a Gar Heard turnaround jumper at the horn to tie the score at 112-112.

Finally Boston would begin to pull away late in the third overtime, leading 128-122 before a flurry from Phoenix's Paul Westphal which cut the Celtics' lead to 2 points with seconds remaining.

Unfortunately, the Suns would never get the ball back for a potential game-tying shot, and the Celtics would dribble the clock out to move within one win of the NBA title.

The Suns would go on to drop an 87-80 result at home in Game 6 to surrender the championship to the Celtics.

No. 2: 1995 Western Conference Semifinals Game 7 (Houston 115, Phoenix 114)

The No. 1 seeded Phoenix Suns led the defending champion Houston Rockets 3-1 in their Western Conference Semifinal series in 1995, giving them three opportunities to close out the champs.

The Suns would fail all three times, including a devastating Game 7 loss at home in America West Arena in which Houston's Mario Elie would nail a 3-pointer with 7.1 seconds remaining to give the Rockets the lead for good.

Houston would go on to win 115-114, capping off a 3-game winning streak after trailing 3-1 in the series.

The Rockets would win the NBA Championship for the second consecutive season that year while the Suns would go home wondering once again, "what if ?"

No. 1: 1993 NBA Finals Game 6 (Chicago 99, Phoenix 98)

Phoenix held a 98-94 lead over the Chicago Bulls at home with just over 40 seconds remaining in Game 6 of the 1993 NBA Finals, hoping to force a series-deciding Game 7 at home.

Unfortunately it was not to be for the Suns, Michael Jordan would cut the Phoenix lead to two points with an uncontested layup which was followed by an empty possession by the Suns, giving Chicago the ball back.

The Bulls would inbound with 14 seconds remaining and Horace Grant would find an open John Paxson on the left wing for what is now one of the most memorable shots in Finals history.  

Paxson's three-pointer with 3.9 seconds remaining in Game 6 would prove to be a fatal blow to the Suns' 1993 NBA title hopes, as Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls went on to win their third-straight NBA Championship.

Patrick Clarke is a Featured Columnist for the Phoenix Suns. Follow on Twitter @_Pat_Clarke