Khaman Maluach made his first preseason start for the Phoenix Suns and delivered 10 points, 15 rebounds and three assists in 21 minutes during a 102-98 win over the San Antonio Spurs on Saturday. The South Sudanese centre spent much of his time matched up against Spurs star Victor Wembanyama.
"Tonight I thought overall was his best performance," head coach Jordan Ott said of Maluach. The French forward challenged Maluach in isolations early, attempting to use his quickness on drives, but the young centre held his ground on several possessions and recovered with strong verticality after a foul call.
Dillon Brooks praised his teammate's work inside. "I think he manned the paint, grabbed some 'boards, caught some hard passes and finished with both of his hands, so I feel like he played well and protected our rim really well."
Maluach still showed room for growth, fumbling a bounce pass and being targeted on a pick-and-roll lob, prompting Ott to call him aside during a timeout. Devin Booker sat out for rest while Miles Bridges was held out after tweaking his right ankle, with the Suns planning to give most players at least one preseason game off. Phoenix's regular season opens on October 21.
