The Suns closed out their preseason with a 119–116 loss to the Utah Jazz on Friday night. It was essentially a dress rehearsal, with the starters playing the first three quarters before the third unit took over in the fourth. Phoenix held a 95–90 lead heading into the final period.
Kudos to Jordan Ott, as he’s truly giving both Khaman Maluach and Oso Ighodaro an opportunity to compete for the starting center position. While we’ve seen Ighodaro get the nod alongside the other four projected starters
thus far this preseason, Friday night provided an opportunity for the second-year big man out of Duke to get his chance as Ighodaro was inactive.
Devin Booker finished with 16 points and six assists, while Dillon Brooks and Jalen Green added 18 points apiece. Khaman Maluach contributed seven points and 12 rebounds, including four on the offensive glass.
And for those following along with Malu-Watch, where we’re tracking his “restocks per 36” (rebounds + steals + blocks), Maluach posted an impressive 21.5 tonight. For perspective, his average last season was 15.0, while Victor Wembanyama averaged 19.2 in the same category.
It was our first look at the second overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, Darryn Peterson out of Kansas, a player expected to develop into a promising shooting guard in the NBA. He played the entire game, finishing with 13 points on 4-of-12 shooting while adding six assists and six rebounds. Jaren Jackson Jr. struggled to stay on the floor due to foul trouble. Khaman Maluach was active on the interior and helped get Jackson into foul trouble early in the second half. Jackson ultimately finished with 17 points but managed only three rebounds.
The preseason is now complete.
Game Flow
First Half
Devin Booker started the night locked in, scoring six of the Suns’ first 11 points as he found his rhythm in the midrange, regardless of whether it was Darryn Peterson or Keyonte George guarding him. As for the three-ball that he’s been having a hard time finding? He’d go 1-of-4 in the first half.
The Suns came out playing aggressively, as we’ve come to expect. Playing against the Jazz, who certainly had a size advantage despite the Suns having Maluach on the floor, you knew they’d have to try to find a way to disrupt. And it took only 4:34 for Dillon Brooks to pick up three fouls.
With 6:59 left in the first quarter, the Jazz were in the bonus. As a result, they would take a total of 15 free-throw attempts in the first quarter, hitting 11 of them. Phoenix would go 6-of-8 from the line. So +5 for the Jazz in Q1 at the line.
Both Devin Booker and Jalen Green scored 10 points in the opening quarter, with Booker adding three assists while Green committed three turnovers. The Suns finished the period with seven turnovers as a team, but in typical Phoenix fashion, they generated additional possessions, attempting 24 field goals compared to Utah’s 18.
After shooting 4-of-12 from beyond the arc, the Suns trailed the Jazz 31–30 after one quarter.
With Oso Ighodaro out, Duop Reath received plenty of playing time, and one thing became abundantly clear. He’s not shy about shooting the three-ball. In nine first-half minutes, Reath went 3-of-7 from the field and 2-of-4 from beyond the arc, providing eight points off the bench.
The Suns looked sharp to open the second quarter, with Jalen Green penetrating, Miles Bridges knocking down threes, Jordan Goodwin doing what he does on both ends of the floor, and Khaman Maluach providing quality screens and rim protection. Collectively, that’s what this team should look like when you have a combination of starters and bench players operating together.
During a stretch featuring Bridges, Dillon Brooks, Green, Goodwin, and Maluach, Phoenix was +8, extending its lead to eight points while putting together a 15–2 run. It was an encouraging display of how the different pieces of this roster can complement one another when they’re playing with connectivity and purpose.
Phoenix shot 6-of-9 from beyond the arc in the second quarter and, despite being the smaller team against Utah, did an impressive job on the glass, outrebounding the Jazz 24–19 in the first half. The Suns outscored Utah 35–28 in the second quarter, led by eight points from Bridges, who was a perfect 3-of-3 from the field and 2-of-2 from beyond the arc. Collin Gillespie added three assists, while Maluach contributed five points and five rebounds in the period alone, giving him five points and seven rebounds heading into halftime.
Phoenix 65, Utah 59.
Second Half
The Suns rolled out their starting five to open the third quarter, confirming that a true dress rehearsal was underway as the team prepares for the regular season. Phoenix wasted little time establishing itself, opening the second half with a 7–0 run against Utah as the offense looked layered, connected, and efficient.
Maluach continued to play aggressively on the glass at both ends of the floor, and we all know Jaren Jackson Jr. has an affinity for picking up fouls. Phoenix made him pay for it, forcing Jackson to the bench with five fouls and seven minutes remaining in the third quarter.
Dillon Brooks fed off the defensive energy his teammates were bringing and translated it into offensive production. His unique skill set, both in the midrange and from beyond the arc, was on full display as he poured in 12 points in the third quarter.
The Jazz endured a stretch in which they went nearly four minutes without a field goal, but a 14–6 run by Utah to close the quarter made the game closer than it had felt. Phoenix held a 95–90 lead entering the fourth, with the Jazz outscoring the Suns 31–30 in the period. The majority of the starting unit finished the quarter at +5, while the majority of the second unit was -6, reflecting the difference in effectiveness between the two groups.
The fourth quarter opened with the third unit on the floor, featuring Kobe Brea, Jamaree Bouyea, Duop Reath, Rasheer Fleming, and Ryan Dunn. Koa Peat eventually checked in for Reath, so outside of Dunn, this was primarily the third unit getting an opportunity to play. And not surprisingly, things were a little clunky.
Peat had a possession in which he lost track of the shot clock and failed to get an attempt off in time. On another opportunity, he had a chance to go up with the basketball, but with Mo Bamba lurking, he hesitated and was called for a three-second violation. He then fouled Ace Bailey on the ensuing possession. It’s the kind of situational awareness that comes with experience, and these are precisely the repetitions a young player like Peat needs as he continues his development.
The game remained close throughout the fourth quarter as the Suns struggled to put together anything resembling cohesive offense. It felt a little like Summer League basketball, where structure takes a back seat and players are left trying to create open looks on their own rather than generating opportunities within the flow of an offensive scheme.
Phoenix was ultimately outscored 29–21 in the final period, falling to Utah 119–116.
Up Next
The. Regular. Season.
Suns tip off the 2026-27 campaign next Wednesday in Portland. Starting then, it’s for real.
