Jalen Green put in a dazzling performance with 36 points, including eight triples, to secure the Western Conference No. 8 seed for Phoenix with a 111-96 win over Stephen Curry's Warriors.
The Suns got off to a bright start with a 33-15 lead in the first quarter, before the Warriors cut the deficit to five points at half-time.
But Phoenix kept a wasteful Golden State at arm's length, successfully limiting veteran superstar Curry to just 17 points.
With barely a minute left, Jordan Goodwin intercepted a pass intended for Steph Curry, and scored a transition bucket before adding a three-pointer on Phoenix's next possession to secure the win.
Victory set up a first-round playoff clash for Phoenix with Oklahoma City Thunder, the defending NBA champions.
"Happy as hell. We came out fire, we knew this was a do-or-die game," said Green, who added six rebounds and four assists.
For the injury-plagued and ageing Warriors, who won the NBA title in 2022, it was a disappointing end to a third consecutive season in the play-in tournament, crashing out before the playoffs as they did in 2024.
In fiery late scenes, two Warriors players -- Draymond Green and Devin Booker -- were ejected from the court, with Green continuing to taunt the home Phoenix fans as he departed.
The NBA playoffs begin Saturday.