Phoenix Suns’ Devin Booker addresses media before China Games
Devin Booker held a news conference in Macao, China, leading up to the Phoenix Suns’ preseason matchups against the Brooklyn Nets.
Provided by the Phoenix Suns
The Phoenix Suns defeated the Brooklyn Nets 132-127 in an overtime preseason game in Macao, China.Jordan Goodwin led the Suns with 19 points off the bench, while Cam Thomas had a game-high 22 points for the Nets.Projected starters Jalen Green and Mark Williams did not play and may not appear until the regular-season opener.
The Phoenix Suns rallied from a sizeable first-half deficit in their 132-127 overtime win over the Brooklyn Nets on Friday, Oct. 10, before a sellout crowd of 11,317 at The Venetian Arena in Macao, China.
The Suns outscored the Nets, 11-6, in overtime as Jordan Goodwin hit a game-sealing 3 with 12.2 seconds left that ignited the team’s bench as Brooklyn called a timeout. Goodwin scored a team-high 19 points off the bench. Jared Butler forced overtime with two free throws with 4.6 seconds left to tie the game at 121-121.
The Suns responded from being down by as many as 18 points in the first half by outscoring the Nets, 30-13, in the third quarter to take a 89-84 lead into the fourth. Phoenix scored 42 points off 34 Brooklyn turnovers.
The Suns improved to 2-0 in preseason play while the Nets are now 1-1.
Devin Booker and Dillon Brooks each scored 18 points in 27 minutes. Oso Ighodaro posted 12 points, Grayson Allen and Collin Gillespie each added 11 and Suns rookie 7-footer Khaman Malauch chipped in 10 points and five rebounds in 20 minutes.
Cam Thomas delivered a game-high 22 points with 18 coming in the first half to pace the Nets.
The Suns face the Nets again Sunday, Oct. 12, in Macao (4 a.m. MST) before returning to conclude their preseason schedule Oct. 14 against the Los Angeles Lakers at Mortgage Matchup Center in Phoenix. The Suns won their preseason opener on Oct. 3 against the Lakers in Palm Desert.
Here are key takeaways from the game.
Suns turned up the pressure on Nets
Phoenix got back into the game and took a five-point lead into the fourth with its pressure defense, limiting the Nets to just 13 points on a mere 2-of-17 shooting in the third quarter.
Thomas only took two shots in part because the Suns forced him to pick up the ball and trapped him.
Booker forced him into a turnover early in the second half to signal a shift in Phoenix’s defensive approach. Brooks set the tone as usual, but Ryan Dunn and Allen were livelier on defense while Ighodaro had two blocked shots in the third.
The Suns are looking to establish an identity of playing with high energy and intensity on defense. There are clear benefits to that style.
Forcing turnovers. Making the opponent uncomfortable. Establishing physicality.
There are also drawbacks.
Fouling. Having to scramble at times to rebound. Exerting tons of energy.
Hanging your hat on playing in-your-chest defense really works with a young team like the Suns. It really worked in that third quarter.
Without it, Phoenix trailed by 18 points. The Suns will need it consistently to compete this season.
Suns coach Jordan Ott pregame on Suns big rotation of Mark Williams, Nick Richards, Khaman Maluach and Oso Ighodaro as he notes Devin Booker and Jalen Green being part of plan on who will play at center: “We’re super excited about the group that we have. All bring different and… pic.twitter.com/1AtvuMZkmU
— Duane Rankin (@DuaneRankin) October 10, 2025No Green, Williams at all in preseason?
Jalen Green and Mark Williams sat out their second straight preseason game, as the two were in street clothes for the game.
The Suns kept the same starting lineup from the preseason opener in Booker, Allen, Brooks, Ighodaro and Dunn.
Suns play-by-play announcer Kevin Ray said during the TV broadcast on Arizona’s Family Sports that “as of right now,” the Suns are targeting Green and Williams to make their debut in the Oct. 22 season opener against the Sacramento Kings at Mortgage Matchup Center.
Green missed the preseason opener on Oct. 3 against the Los Angeles Lakers in Palm Desert with a left hamstring strain. He has been participating in practice in China.
Phoenix acquired Green from Houston in the Kevin Durant trade.
The Suns have had Williams on an intentional plan to build up his strength, particularly his lower body, going into the regular season.
Injury prone, Williams has played in just 106 games in his first three NBA seasons. Williams said before the preseason opener that he’ll play in the Oct. 22 regular-season opener.
The Suns will have played four preseason games without two projected starters in Green and Williams.
Williams went through the first seven practices in training camp doing everything except playing live 5-on-5.
At some point, one would think he’d at least play 5-on-5 in practice before the season opener.
As for Green, Phoenix could be very well just taking precaution with him.
Green and Booker have established chemistry in camp, but practice and games are two different animals.
That’s why the preseason is important.
Suns sluggish in first half
Booker said he hadn’t experienced jet lag from the 7,500-mile trip, but he and the Suns lacked the ball pressure in the first half that they exhibited against the Lakers.
The Nets made their first 10 shots from the field in building an 18-point lead in the first half.
Brooklyn shot 60% from the field in the first half, going 7-of-13 from 3, while the Suns struggled from deep at 4-of-18 in shooting 43.2% from the field.
The Suns had no answer for Thomas, who cooked them on 6-of-10 shooting in the first half. Nic Claxton and Michael Porter Jr. scored 11 points each in the half.
Brooklyn got pretty much whatever they wanted as Phoenix wasn’t picking the Nets up full court and making them uncomfortable.
That changed in the third quarter.
Brooks led the Suns with 16 points in the first half on 6-of-15 field goals, going 2-of-8 from 3. The rest of the starters managed just 24 points on 7-of-15 shooting (0-of-3 from 3).
Booker missed all three of his field goal attempts in scoring just six points (6-of-7 free throws).
That changed in the third quarter, too.
Booker getting to the line
Booker nearly matched Brooklyn’s point total in the third with 12 on 4-of-5 shooting, making both of his 3-point shots. The Nets scored 13 points in the quarter.
He’s the franchise’s all-time leading scorer.
This is what Booker does, but he was aggressive in the first half, too. Booker took seven free throws in the first half, making six. He ended the game 8-of-9 from the line.
To put those numbers in perspective, Booker is averaging six free throws a game for his career. He attempted an average of 6.4 free throws last season.
His career high average for attempts from the line is 6.8 in the 2022-23 season when he averaged a career-high 27.8 points a game.
The free throw line is where Booker can not only score, but the bucket getter can also find his way into the game even when his shot isn’t falling or he’s passing out of the double.
Have opinions about the current state of the Suns? Reach Suns Insider Duane Rankin at dmrankin@gannett.com or contact him at 480-810-5518. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter, at @DuaneRankin.
Support local journalism. Start your online subscription.