Who: Summer Suns (2-1) vs. Summer Pistons (1-2)
When: 3:00 pm Arizona Time
Where: Thomas & Mack Center — Las Vegas, Nevada
Watch: Arizona Family Sports, ESPNU
Three games into Vegas and the Summer Suns are winning ugly, defending with malice, and crashing the glass. We’ve got some dogs.
Phoenix erased a 14-point halftime hole against Portland with a 31-18 third quarter in game one, then faceplanted against the Pelicans. However, they closed Monday’s Bucks game on an 11-1 run after trailing 87-84 with 2:30
left. The two wins were built on defense and rebounding, and riding the momentum from each.
At 2-1 with a winnable finale, a top-four record, and a July 18 semifinal spot are both live depending on how everything else shakes out.
Probable Starters
In the Summer League, you never know what the lineups might be, so the best we can do is guess. Let’s hope all the key guys go again, because it’s been (mostly) fun to watch them progress.
Suns
- Darius Brown II
- Koby Brea
- Rasheer Fleming
- Koa Peat
- Khaman Maluach
Pistons
- Ebuka Okorie
- Chaz Lanier
- Brice Williams
- Isaac Jones
- Ugonna Onyenso
Injury Report
Suns
- Nothing Reported as of now
Pistons
- Nothing Reported as of now
What to Watch For
Maluach vs. Onyenso at the rim
Khaman Maluach’s Vegas log: 19 and 11 against Portland, a 15-point, 15-rebound double-double in the Pelicans loss, then 21 points, 10 rebounds, and four blocks on Milwaukee. He’s looked exactly how you’d hoped he would in this environment heading into year two.
Three straight double-doubles from a 7-foot-2 sophomore who might be too good for this event. Detroit counters with Ugonna Onyenso, a 7-footer who led the ACC with 105 blocks last season. Shot-blocker on shot-blocker is the most watchable thing on Wednesday’s card. Mark Williams and Oso Ighodaro are going to have some legitimate competition next season.
Koa Peat vs. Detroit’s engine
Peat dropped 19 and 6 on the Bucks and hasn’t looked sped up at all. He’s looked like everything we could’ve hoped for and more from a physical and “feel” standpoint. Wednesday’s potential problem for Peat is Ebuka Okorie, the No. 17 pick who averaged 23.2 points at Stanford and lives downhill.
Keep him off the rim without fouling, and this defense passes its last exam. One more scouting note: Chaz Lanier hit seven threes on Cleveland. Chase him off the line or eat a barrage.
Does the Brea heater carry over?
Koby Brea was ice cold in Vegas until Monday, when he put up 19 with six threes in a 44.1% team night from deep. Darius Brown added 14 and five assists as Phoenix out-assisted Milwaukee 22-15.
They’re going to need another strong showing from Brea to have more confidence in him if this ends up being their last SL game. His confidence could sure use another offensive outburst.
Prediction
Suns by 6 because… why not?
Look, Summer League play is always going to be sloppy. Chasing progress, not perfection is the key here.
