Suns rookie Brea soars in Summer League debut, in 103-84 win to Wizards

1st Quarter:

Suns Summer League head coach DeMarre Carroll stated pregame that he wanted Maluach to take five to six three point attempts in his debut. Maluach got to work quickly, taking two three pointers in the first four minutes. Neither of those attempts went in, as well as his first five 3-point attempts, but the form looked good for the seven-footer, which is what Carroll likely wanted to see from the big man.

From Phoenix’s first pick in the 2025 draft to its last pick, Brea took two quick three pointers as well, but he swished both. Brea was touted as the purest shooter in the draft and fit the part early. Key rotational piece from last year, Ryan Dunn, added his own three pointer for his five first quarter points to keep it close against a talented Washington Wizards Summer League team.

Wizards first-round pick Tre Johnson was praised pre-draft for his confidence and maturity. Johnson illustrated that by making his first three shots and scoring seven first quarter points. A majority of the players on the Washington Summer League team saw big minutes last year, with the team playing for the future. AJ Johnson was one of their names and he was sensational in the 1st quarter.

Johnson arrived to the Wizards via the Khris Middleton trade at the NBA trade deadline and showed great ball control in open space, scoring six first quarter points. The two teams were playing with high-energy, but the shot making was lackluster in a tightly-contest opening quarter, finishing tied 23-23.

2nd Quarter:

Phoenix struggled with controlling the ball, having 10 turnovers only a few minutes into the second quarter. Washington couldn’t take advantage of their opponents mistakes, and the playmaking of Suns’ Yuri Collins got the momentum back on his team’s sideline by facilitating a 13-4 run. Collins had three assists that led to direct baskets. Moses Wood scored five points during that stretch, knocking down a shot from beyond the arc and getting out on the break to bring up the pace for the Suns and gift them a seven-point lead.

Turnovers remained a problem for Phoenix, allowing 17 points off turnovers, but Washington’s halfcourt offense stalled because of the stellar on-ball pressure and Maluach’s paint presence. Maluach didn’t record a block, but his 7’2 frame was enough to deter any Wizards from testing the big man.

The offense continued to run through Brea and Dunn throughout the second. Brea remained perfect from the field, knocking down another 3-pointer and an and-one to finish him with 12 first-half points. Dunn had 10 first-half points, getting into the paint and being aggressive to getting to the basket, which is the next development in the 22-year-old’s game.

The Suns ball control struggles continued, giving the Wizards life late and cutting the deficeit to four points. However, again when troubled arose, Collins took control of the offense and expanded the lead back to eight points heading into halftime, 47-39.

3rd Quarter

Brea remained playing with confidence. He started off his scoring in the second half for the Suns dribbling off the wing into the free-throw line and bumping off the defender for the swish. The newest Suns guard playing similar to a Suns veteran like Devin Booker. Both of them former Kentucky Wildcats and each containing stellar feel for the game offensively.

The offense ran through Brea, coming off screens or getting to his spots for open looks. The five-year collegiate guard looked like a seasoned pro, nailing three straight shots to bring his third-quarter total to seven points and 19 points overall.

Maluach was having a rough offensive night against Wizards’ Alexander Sarr, who blocked multiple of his shots at the rim. The Duke big man didn’t get deter, staying aggressive and earning six free throws in the third quarter alone. However, Maluach would get his revenge on Sarr, slapping a hook shot for his first career block.

Oso Ighodaro followed Maluach defensively by ripping the ball away from Sarr and continuing a strong defensive performance from the second-year Suns center. Ighodaro started to roll near the end of the third, fueling a 15-5 run, giving Phoenix a 15 point lead. The 22-year-old center had four steals on the night, alongside a double-double of 11 points and 12 rebounds, an encouraging performance from Ighodaro.

4th Quarter:

The floodgates started to open for Phoenix, with former USC standout Boogie Ellis putting on a show. Ellis was pulling from the Las Vegas strip as he hit a 35′ foot bomb that gifted the Suns a 25-point lead. Phoenix had a hot shooting night from beyond the arc, knocking down 11-for-27 of its outside shots. Ellis was 4-for-5 from the 3-point line and helped put the game out of reach for Washington.

The bench unit kept the lead massive, as the starters returned to close out the Summer League opener. Maluach tacked on another block against Sarr, matching the amount time he got stuffed by last year’s second overall pick. The Suns defense was anchored by Maluach’s presence. The Wizards didn’t want to test Maluach’s 9-foot-8 standing reach, forcing themselves to rely on an outside shot that wasn’t falling.

The first-round pick started too look more comfortable as the game progress, which was cemented as Maluach finally made his first-three pointer with less than 30 seconds to go, finishing 1-for-6 from beyond the arc.

Phoenix starts Summer League with a XX-XX win and will face the Atlanta Hawks on Sunday at 12:30pm on NBA TV.