In December, the team traded Armen Gilliam to the Charlotte Hornets in exchange for Kurt Rambis, who won four championships with the Los Angeles Lakers.
[31][32] Just over a month later, he would break his own record when he scored 60 against his former team, the Seattle SuperSonics on March 24, 1990, which the Suns won at home, 121–95.
The Suns received the 46th pick (Ricky Blanton) from the Chicago Bulls when they traded Craig Hodges for Ed Nealy.
Roster Last transaction: March 26, 1990 The Suns entered the postseason as the fifth seed in the Western Conference, opening the playoffs against the fourth-seeded Utah Jazz.
With stomach flu limiting All-Star point guard Kevin Johnson to only 9 minutes, the Jazz took game one with a 17-point victory in Salt Lake City.
The Blazers launched a furious second-half comeback, tying the game 106–106 after a Terry Porter three-pointer with 28 seconds left.
Kevin Johnson was immediately fouled, missing the first free throw and making the second to give the Suns a one-point lead.
Suns forward Eddie Johnson missed a 20-foot jumper with 4 seconds left, giving the Blazers a 108–107 victory.
[38] Fortune turned against the Suns in game six, when Kevin Johnson went down with a hamstring injury at the end of the second quarter.
Shooting guard Jeff Hornacek led the team in Johnson's absence, scoring a career playoff high 36 points.