Suns May Have Just Seen Khaman Maluach's Turning Point

"I'm sure they'll be having some friendly banter about that for years to come. But I mean, Khaman stayed the course the entire year, and just waited for his opportunity and thrived in it tonight," Suns star Devin Booker said post-game.

"I'm super proud of him, you know, I think this is a starting point for him that we'll look years down the line and be like, 'we knew that kid had it from the beginning.'"

Even with Phoenix's slew of injuries this season, the Suns have seen Maluach backlogged in the team's center rotation. Yet he's stayed the course, even when not playing, and head coach Jordan Ott says experience like Wednesday was crucial.

"Just the presence at the rim. Obviously, he helps with the rebounding piece. A big block there in the fourth. Just good, good reps for him. Good experience to get out there in a game in March," said Ott.

"Don't think we had that drawn up like that early in the season, and that just speaks volumes to his progress that he's made over the course of the year. This is just the next step. It's just good for even the fourth quarter, late in the game, for him to get those reps. Just can't duplicate that in anything else.

"Multiple times he was able to push through. I think that is normal stuff for a young guy to know that there's another level. When you're tired, you're going to be asked to act. And how do you act in those moments, can you get the rebound? Can you sprint down the other end, like that's when you really get taxed. And the more times you get out there, you can take those reps, they'll learn from it."

Booker says while Maluach might just now begin making ripples through the NBA world, the Suns have seen the work he's put in since the start.

"Everything comes to the light. We obviously behind the scenes have been seeing it. We've been seeing it since training camp. He has the right head on his shoulders," Booker continued.

"I've been saying his willingness to learn, the right questions that he asked, just his vocal communication throughout the whole season when he's been in the rotation, when he's not, he's one of the loudest on the team. With him being the anchor of our defense, which you've seen tonight, you know, that's super valuable."