The Phoenix Suns’ preseason wrapped Friday night with a performance that had to leave them feeling pretty good.
Against a Utah Jazz team built around size, Phoenix didn’t get pushed around. The starters logged three quarters, and the Suns carried a 95-90 lead into the fourth. That matters, especially with plenty of people around the league viewing Utah as a team ready to move ahead of Phoenix in the standings after years of tanking and collecting young talent.
What made this one feel encouraging was the way the Suns handled the battle inside. They attacked the glass, kept putting pressure on the paint, and played with the kind of execution that has defined this version of Phoenix Suns basketball.
The shot-making helped too: Phoenix went 13-of-28 from deep through three quarters, which came out to 46.4%. If that kind of perimeter efficiency shows up regularly, this group is going to be a problem.
The production was spread around, which was another good sign. Dillon Brooks and Jalen Green each scored 18 points, while Devin Booker added 16. Khaman Maluach got the start and delivered seven points and 12 rebounds, and he also helped get Jaren Jackson Jr., who finished with 17 points, into foul trouble.
There’s still plenty to clean up, and that’s going to be true every day for a Suns team that will have to scrap for everything it gets this season. But Friday night offered a useful snapshot: this group can compete, and it’s not backing down.
Among the top performers, Brooks posted 18 points on 6-of-13 shooting, including 2-of-5 from three, with four rebounds, one assist, no turnovers and a plus-10. Green matched him with 18 points on 6-of-13 shooting and 3-of-5 from beyond the arc, plus two rebounds, two assists, three steals and a plus-10.
Booker finished with 16 points, three rebounds, six assists, one steal and four turnovers. Maluach’s line included 12 rebounds, one steal and one block.
Jordan Goodwin added 10 points, four rebounds, two assists and one steal without a turnover.
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