The Phoenix Suns are sticking with the same starting five for their second preseason game against the Chicago Bulls, a group that gave them a strong early look in Monday’s opener before the Detroit Pistons rallied for a 109-107 win.
Phoenix had control from the jump against Detroit, building a 68-50 halftime lead behind a first unit that looked connected and efficient. But once the rotation got deeper, the game slipped away in the second half. Tonight offers another chance to sharpen the details and keep stacking reps ahead of the 2026-27 season.
Coach Jordan Ott said pregame the Suns will roll out the same starters they used against the Pistons. That includes Oso Ighodaro, who gets the nod again over Khaman Maluach as the two continue their battle for the starting center job after Mark Williams tore his labrum last month.
The opening five clearly did its job in the first preseason game, and Phoenix will now ask that group to stretch its minutes a little further. After only playing the first half on Monday, the starters are expected to get extra run against Chicago.
“We’ll extend those minutes a little bit more into the third (quarter),” Ott said after practice Tuesday (via The Arizona Republic's Duane Rankin). “That’s the plan right now.
Just continue to build up over the preseason. Continue the chemistry, getting along, building the relationships.”
That should give fans a better look at how this group functions when it spends more time together. Bridges was especially noticeable in his Suns debut, filling the box score in all the ways Phoenix needed - scoring, playmaking, defense and work on the glass - and he figures to be a major focus again.
There’s also the simple question of fit. With so many scorers in the starting lineup, the Suns will keep sorting out where everyone gets theirs, starting with Booker, who wants to be more of a scorer this season.
If the minutes are staggered a bit between Ighodaro and Maluach with the first and second units, tonight could also provide another useful data point in that competition. Neither big man made a strong enough case in the opener to lock down the job.
When Phoenix turns to the bench, the expectation is the energy level has to hold. The deeper group let the Pistons’ lead get away, and the Suns will want to avoid a repeat of that against Chicago.
Tipoff is set for shortly after 5 p.m. MST.
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