Phoenix Suns Summer League: Khaman Maluach Shines, But Team Loses to Pelicans 81-75

What Is Summer League? (Explained Simply)

Summer League is like a practice tournament where basketball teams play with their young, new, or developing players. Think of it as a school play before the big Broadway show — it’s real basketball, but a chance to learn.

Game Overview

The Phoenix Suns (a team from Arizona) played their second Summer League game against the New Orleans Pelicans. They lost 81‑75 (the Pelicans scored 81 points, the Suns 75).

Even though they lost, a tall second‑year player (called a “big man”) named Khaman Maluach played really well.

Important: This was the Suns’ second Summer League loss, but the big story was Maluach’s great play and how his teammates couldn’t help him enough to win.

Meet the Players and Their Scores

Here are the top scorers from the game:

• Darius Brown II (Suns) led his team with 18 points.
• Malik Dia (Pelicans) scored 18 points.
• Jaron Pierre Jr. (Pelicans) scored 16 points and helped his team win.
• Khaman Maluach (Suns) scored 15 points, grabbed 15 rebounds (catching the ball after a missed shot), blocked 2 shots (swatting the ball away), and stole the ball 1 time. He made 5 out of 9 total shots, and 2 out of 4 from the three‑point line (a far line that gives 3 points per basket).

Why Maluach Was the Star

• He was the most talented player on the court from start to finish.
• In the previous game (vs Portland), he lost the ball 7 times (called turnovers — when you give the ball to the other team by mistake). This game he stayed calm and had zero turnovers.
• Through two Summer League games, he has looked stronger, catches the ball better, and rebounds better.
• Surprise! He is the Suns’ best three‑point shooter in Summer League so far, making 5 out of 11 long shots.

Important: Maluach did not get enough help from his teammates (his “running mates”) to pull out a win.

How the Other Young Suns Played

The Suns have two other young players from their “trio”: Koa Peat and Rasheer Fleming. They didn’t impress as much as Maluach.

Koa Peat

• Only grabbed 4 rebounds.
• Scored 12 points (made 4 of 10 shots, 1 of 3 free throws — free throws are unguarded shots from the line).
• Committed 7 fouls (illegal touches) and turned the ball over 4 times.
• Looked smooth handling the ball for his size (like a point guard), but he seemed less energetic than his first game. He didn’t run back on defense fast, letting Pelicans score easy baskets.

Rasheer Fleming

• Also only 4 rebounds.
• Good on defense: 2 blocks, 1 steal, and knocked away passes (deflections).
• But on offense (trying to score), he was not helpful except for grabbing missed shots. He hasn’t shown he can shoot three‑pointers well.

Important: The Suns’ Summer League team lacks a player who can consistently score first and create plays. This makes the offense look messy. Peat and Fleming don’t like shooting corner three‑pointers, which clogs the middle and makes it hard for the Suns’ smaller guards to drive to the basket. This problem might continue into the main NBA season in January, where no forward (a certain type of player) has proven to be a good three‑point shooter.

How the Game Unfolded (Quarter by Quarter)

First Quarter

1. Pelicans started fast: Pierre Jr. made two three‑pointers, leading 6‑2.
2. Suns struggled to find space on offense (called “spacing”).
3. Fleming missed two jump shots and an open three, then stopped being aggressive.
4. Suns tied 6‑6 after Maluach grabbed Fleming’s missed three and slammed it (a powerful dunk).
5. When Maluach left the game, Pelicans scored more, leading 16‑12 after the first quarter.

Second Quarter

• Both teams scored poorly at first.
• Maluach dunked after a pick‑and‑roll (a play where a teammate blocks a defender then passes) from Javonte Cook.
• Peat drove to the basket for two layups, tying 18‑18.
• Pelicans hit two threes and layups, leading 28‑20.
• Suns answered: Maluach dunk, Fleming corner three, Brown corner three → down 32‑29.
• Defensive highlights: Maluach broke up an alley‑oop (a high pass for a dunk), Fleming deflected a lob pass (another high pass).
• Pelicans hit three more threes to end the half leading 41‑31.
• Suns were 2‑for‑15 from three; Pelicans 9‑of‑20.

Third Quarter (Suns’ Best Moment)

Numbered steps of their comeback run:

1. Maluach blocked shots and deflected passes, helping Peat get fouled in transition (running back).
2. Fleming grabbed an offensive rebound, scored, then stole from Pierre, dunked, got fouled — a small scuffle caused double technical fouls (warnings/punishments) with Maluach and Pelicans.
3. Fleming made free throw; Brown scored twice; Peat hit a midrange jumper.
4. This 15‑6 run cut deficit to 47‑46.
   • But when Maluach left, Pelicans’ Dia scored inside and a flat‑footed three, leading 62‑50.
   • Suns bench scored 4, trailing 62‑54 after third.

Fourth Quarter and Final Push

• Back‑and‑forth; Pelicans led by about 9 points.
• Brown and Jameer Nelson Jr. drove to basket to keep Suns close.
• With 2:06 left, Suns down 75‑67 made a final push:
  1. Peat hit midrange shot.
  2. Maluach made a three in transition (pick‑and‑pop) cutting to 3 points.
  3. Defense stop; Koby Brea missed a very long three (finished 0‑for‑6 on day, 2 points).
  4. Maluach rushed another three that missed out of bounds.
• Kobe Bufkin (Pelicans) layup made it 77‑72; free throws sealed 81‑75.

What’s Next for the Suns?

The Suns play again Monday at 7:00 pm Arizona time against the Milwaukee Bucks.
Exciting note: Arizona Wildcats freshman stars Koa Peat (Suns) and Brayden Burries (Bucks) will face each other in the NBA Summer League.

Summary

• Suns lost 81‑75 to Pelicans in Summer League.
• Khaman Maluach was fantastic: 15 pts, 15 reb, 2 blk, 1 stl, no turnovers, great three‑point shooting (2‑4 this game, 5‑11 overall).
• Young teammates Peat and Fleming showed flashes but were inconsistent and hurt the team’s spacing.
• Team lacks a main scorer, making offense hard to watch.
• Next game Monday vs Bucks featuring Peat vs Burries.

FAQ

Q1: What is a Summer League game?
A: It’s a practice game in the offseason where teams use young or new players to get experience, like a friendly scrimmage.

Q2: Why is Khaman Maluach’s performance surprising?
A: He is a tall big man, but he’s shooting three‑pointers well and not losing the ball, showing he has improved a lot in just two games.

Q3: What does “turnover” mean?
A: It’s when a team loses the ball to the other side without shooting, like dropping it or making a bad pass.

Q4: Why did the Suns lose if Maluach played well?
A: Basketball is a team sport. His teammates didn’t score enough or space the floor, and Pelicans had more balanced scoring.

Q5: Who is Brayden Burries?
A: He is a freshman from Arizona Wildcats playing for the Bucks in Summer League, matching up against Peat in the next game.