After winning its Summer League opener against the Washington Wizards, the Phoenix Suns lost three straight games to finish its initial four-game schedule 1-3. The fifth and final game is based on the record of the first four contests, which has Phoenix playing the 3-1 Portland Trail Blazers on July 19th. The game will be televised on NBA TV at 6:30 p.m., and it will take place at the Cox Pavilion.
Portland started off their Summer League with a win over the Golden State Warriors, before losing the next night against the Memphis Grizzlies. The Trail Blazers responded with back-to-back wins against the New Orleans Pelicans and Houston Rockets.
The team is led by 16th overall pick Yan Hansen, coining the nickname of “Chinese Jokic.” Former Arizona and UNC standout Caleb Love and former lottery pick James Bouknight, who is coming off his best performance of 25 points and six-made 3-pointers. Former 2023 2nd round pick Rayan Rupert isn’t expected to play in the game, which is good news for Phoenix as he has had two 20-point games in Summer League.
The Suns three draft picks from this past NBA draft, Khaman Maluach, Rasheer Fleming and Koby Brea, are all expected to play in Saturday’s game. It is unclear if Ryan Dunn and Oso Ighodaro will participate, especially after Dunn was grimacing after a fall in the team’s last game against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Summer League has been a mixed bag for Phoenix, but the rookies and the 2nd-year players have showcased that they can contribute next year immediately. The Suns enter next year with a lot of question marks surrounding the roster, and it’ll give opportunities to the young gunners to make an impact.
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