PHOENIX – The Phoenix Suns had all their rookies suited up for the first time in this Summer League. Khaman Maluach missed last game for rest and Rasheer Fleming missed the first two game to be cautious of right knee soreness. They joined Koby Brea and 2nd-year forward Ryan Dunn to bounce back from last night’s loss against the Sacramento Kings. That was not the case.
Phoenix would lose 94-76 in its worst offensive game in Vegas, shooting 40% from the field and 28.6% from beyond the arc. There was no connectivity or a facilitatory to run the offense, and the result was ugly. Maluach looked very much like the project he was promised to be, shooting 3-for-9 for eight points and being a step to slow defensively. After an efficient first two games, Brea scored two points on 1-for-9 shooting.
Mar 27, 2025; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Kentucky Wildcats guard Koby Brea (4) talks to the media during practice day at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images
Dunn remained the only light offensively, scoring 18 points and six rebounds. However, the lack of scoring seemingly hurt the team’s morale, as the defense slowly descent into unbearable levels. Kings didn’t shoot the lights out early on but the energy from leaders like Devin Carter and Nique Clifford was enough to punk the Suns in the win.
Carter had 17 points, three assists and two steals, while Clifford started hot and ended with 19 points, three assists and three steals. Sacramento moved to 3-0, while Phoenix fell to 1-2 and ugly back-to-back losses.
1st Quarter:
Dunn was bailing out the Suns early. He got the scoring started early on a putback slam, staying active on the offensive glass. The 2nd-year wing illustrated his maturity of crashing the boards and staying patience offensively. Moving without the rock and passing the ball to find open space would lead to a Dunn open 3-pointer and scoring seven of the team’s first nine points.
Apr 11, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Phoenix Suns forward Ryan Dunn (0) dunks against the San Antonio Spurs during the second half at Footprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images
Maluach highlighted why he is still a work in progress in the opening quarter. Offensively he was very loose with his dribble and held the ball for too long for two early turnovers. While defensively, the 10th overall pick was a step behind his assignment and fouled Nique Clifford on a jumper, who led the Kings in first quarter scoring with nine points.
Clifford and Dunn combined for 16 of the 35 total 1st quarter points, with a lid on the basket for both teams. Phoenix shot 36.8% from the field and was still better than Sacramento, who shot 33.3%. The difference was the Suns committing undiscipline foul on Kings shooters, gifting them seven first quarter free throws and a 18-17 lead at the end of one.
2nd Quarter:
The offensive woes continued for Phoenix in the second. The Kings made back-to-back 3-pointers, while the Suns started by missing their first five shots. The nearly five-minute scoring drought ended via Maluach crashing the offensive glass multiple times and gifting Dunn another easy putback layup to give the team some life.
However, the rookies struggles continued to rear its ugly head. Second-round pick Koby Brea, after an efficient first two games, missed six straight shots and was clanking it off the front iron. Meanwhile, Maluach was a foul magnet, recording four fouls early in the 2nd quarter. In Summer League, players are given 10 fouls, but if Maluach wants to be a part of the rotation, that is an aspect of his game he’ll need to fix.
Apr 5, 2025; San Antonio, TX, USA; Duke Blue Devils center Khaman Maluach (9) shoots against Houston Cougars forward Joseph Tugler (11) in the semifinals of the men’s Final Four of the 2025 NCAA Tournament at the Alamodome. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images
The Suns were losing confident offensively and it translated the defensive end. Sacramento went on an 21-5 run, with Phoenix just having silly turnovers and miscues by overhelping and leaving players wide open under the basket. After just scoring 17 points on 36.8% shooting in the first, the Suns scored less and shot worse the next quarter, with 11 points on under 25% shooting.
Phoenix had the same amount of turnovers as it had made field goals in the first half (11), as it trailed 45-28 to Sacramento.
3rd Quarter:
The run only got worse for the Suns. Dating back the first half, the Kings went on 44-14 run and were embarrassing their opponent. Carter was a menace on the defensive end and his energy was infectious, as Sacramento offense was overwhelming Phoenix’s interior defense. Maluach and Oso Ighodaro undiscipline rim protection would lead to Kings free throws or uncontested paint shots.
Suns head coach DeMarre Carroll pulled Dunn early in the third and gave more opportunity to 2nd-round pick Fleming, who showed flashes. The former Saint Joseph’s forward illustrated his impressive ball handling at his size with a nice driving spin move layup to bring his point total to seven points in his Summer League debut.
Mar 15, 2025; Washington, D.C., USA; Saint Joseph’s Hawks forward Rasheer Fleming (13) shoots the ball over Saint Joseph’s Hawks forward Shawn Simmons II (10) in the first half at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images
4th Quarter:
Entering the fourth quarter, the Suns hadn’t hit a 3-pointer in nearly 12 in-game minutes. The streak was broken by Dunn, who continued to play with pace and hustle despite the scoring disparity. Dunn the contested 3-pointer and then immediately attacked the next offensive possession in the post to draw the foul. The young wing is starting to show his maturity in his offensive game, which is what the Suns will need from Dunn next season.
Oct 26, 2024; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Phoenix Suns forward Ryan Dunn (0) celebrates a dunk against Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic (77) in the first half of the home opener at Footprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
The rookies started to find their rhythm in the final frame. Maluach had active hands in the paint was causing multiple deflections, while Brea made his first shot on a 18′ foot faraway on the right baseline and finishing off a 12-4 run. These are the signs Phoenix wants to see from their young prospects, if they have the intangibles to play in the regular season.
The Suns are going to have to flush this one out of their memory and get ready to battle against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday at 2 PM on NBA TV.
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Reporter Tanner Tortorella covers general assignment for Burn City Sports. You can follow him on his X account, @TannerTSports
