Phoenix Suns are now 1-2 in 2025 NBA Summer League play.
The Phoenix Suns had everyone available for their third NBA Summer League game, but the Sacramento Kings were too much for them Monday night, July 14.
Phoenix trailed by as many as 35 points in a 94-76 loss at Cox Pavilion in Las Vegas.
This was the second of a back-to-back for the Suns, who lost Sunday afternoon to the Atlanta Hawks. They’ve now lost two in a row after winning their opener Thursday.
Rasheer Fleming made his NBA Summer League debut after missing first two games with right knee soreness. Ryan Dunn and Khaman Maluach returned to action after sitting out Sunday’s game as the Suns planned not to play those two in both games of a back-to-back.
Here are five takeaways from the loss as Phoenix will have Tuesday off before taking on the Minnesota Timberwolves on Thursday night at Cox Pavilion.
Dunn should be done in Vegas
Dunn scored a team-high 18 points on 6-of-8 shooting and grabbed six rebounds.
The other four starters – Koby Brea, Oso Ighodaro, Maluach and Yuri Collins – scored a combined 21 points on 8-of-31 shooting.
Dunn certainly had more bounce and energy after not playing Sunday.
The 3 is where Dunn has the most room to grow. He went 2-of-3 Monday.
Being active is his strength. Dunn is a natural 3, but at 6-8, he could play the four in a small ball lineup.
He was Phoenix’s best player Monday and should rest the remainder of the summer league. Dunn is healthy and has nothing more to prove in this setting.
Fleming debut
The second-round pick out of Saint Joseph's moved well with the knee soreness.
That’s good news for the Suns.
He mostly planted himself in the corner looking to shoot the 3. Fleming finished with the game with seven points, going 1-of-3 from deep. Half of his shot attempts were 3s.
Fleming didn’t put the ball on the floor as much, but Fleming did get to the rim off the bounce on a spin move and scored on Mason Jones, who left the game grabbing at his back after the play.
He could use another game, maybe as a starter if Dunn sits out the rest of the summer, to find a rhythm and be more aggressive from the start.
Maluach off the dribble?
The Suns gave Maluach the green light to take his defender off the dribble.
He ended up with three turnovers, but it felt like more.
A major part of the summer league is to try new things. The games don’t count in the win-loss column.
This may be something Maluach has always had in his bag, but he just hasn’t been asked to do it be it he’s a 7-footer. The Suns have plenty of ball handlers on the roster.
Very perimeter heavy right now, but Malauch is skilled. Oso Ighodaro is a better ball handler at this point in his career.
If Maluach can get to that point against NBA players, with his size, that’s scary.
Step slow, out of synch
The Suns were full strength, but this was a third game in four days for most of them outside of Dunn, Maluach and Fleming.
It looked like it. They allowed 30 points off 20 turnovers. That essentially means they weren’t getting back on defense after miscues.
Ighodaro came up lame after taking a fall in the third quarter and slowly walked off the court. Scoring just three points on 1-of-8 shooting, Ighodaro seemed OK leaving the floor after the game.
Like Dunn, Ighodaro should be done in Vegas as well.
Brea went just 1-of-9, going 0-for-4 from 3. This is two games removed from his 19-point debut when Brea made 4-of-5 from 3.
He still has his left thumb taped from Sunday’s game, but he didn’t have the same pop from the opener. Plus, teams are playing him tighter and with physicality. Brea didn't handle it as well Monday.
The same can be said for the Suns as a whole. They were step slow and weren’t on the same page as they were in the opener.
Credit the Kings for some of that. They improved to 3-0 after the win. Good looking team.
Crawford real deal
Kings first-round pick Nique Crawford delivered 19 points on 7-of-8 shooting. He made 3-of-3 from 3 and added three rebounds, three assists, three steals and a blocked shot.
Crawford also had five turnovers, committed four fouls in 24 minutes, but he’s an NBA player. Strong, physical, confident and can knock it down from deep.
Very strong performance for the rookie forward out of Colorado State.
Have opinions about the current state of the Suns? Reach Suns Insider Duane Rankin at [email protected] or contact him at 480-810-5518. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter, at @DuaneRankin.
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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: 5 takeaways from Phoenix Suns' ugly loss in NBA Summer League
Category: Basketball
