Game Recap: Suns starters impress in 119-116 preseason loss to Jazz

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.

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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…

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Publish date : 2026-10-17 04:33:00

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