The Phoenix Suns only had two 20-point comebacks last season.
They started the 2025-26 campaign with one.
The Suns responded to a 20-point halftime deficit with a dominant third quarter in beating the Sacramento Kings, 120-116, Wednesday, Oct. 22, before a satisfied sellout crowd of 17,071 at Mortgage Matchup Center.
Phoenix outscored Sacramento, 36-21, in the quarter to enter the fourth quarter down only two points. The Suns then went on an 11-0 burst early in the fourth to go up, 101-94.
Suns first-year head coach Jordan Ott picked up his first win as an NBA head coach and received a celebratory water shower and game ball afterwards.
In the first half, the Suns lacked defensive pressure, physicality and aggressiveness — qualities that are part of their new identity. Phoenix rediscovered them in the second half to top the Kings (0-1), much to the delight of the sellout crowd, which cheered their effort, intensity and hustle.
Here are takeaways from the opening-night win. Phoenix (1-0) begins a three-game road trip Oct. 24, against the Los Angeles Clippers (0-1), who lost their opener, 129-108, Wednesday at Utah.
Booker, Brooks lead Suns offense
Devin Booker had a game-high 31 points along with five rebounds, three assists, six turnovers and five fouls. Booker called his play “nasty” after the game, referencing the turnovers.
Dillon Brooks added 22 points (1-of-8 from 3), four rebounds and five fouls in his Suns debut. Brooks ignited the crowd with his intensity and got under DeMar DeRozan’s skin.
Grayson Allen had 18 points and a team-high seven assists in starting for injured Jalen Green (right hamstring strain). Royce O’Neale added 12 points off the bench, going 3-of-7 from 3.
“The fans stuck with us.”
Dillon Brooks after Suns comeback win, admitting he ‘shot it bad.’
1-of-8 from 3.
On defending DeMar DeRozan: “It was definitely a wear down effect.” #Suns pic.twitter.com/LHVTIHiBXU
— Duane Rankin (@DuaneRankin) October 23, 2025LaVine, DeRozan power Kings
Sacramento’s Zach LaVine scored a team-high 30 points with only eight coming in the second half (0-of-6 from 3). DeMar DeRozan scored 29 points (4-of-9 from the line), had a game-high nine assists and six rebounds.
Malik Monk scored 19 points off the bench, with 13 coming in the first half. Dennis Schroder added 14 points, seven assists and four turnovers.
Who didn’t play
Green missed the season opener with a right hamstring strain he initially injured in training camp leading up to Oct. 3 preseason opener.
The Kings were without Isaac Jones (illness), Keegan Murray (left thumb UCL) and Domantas Sabonis (right hamstring strain).
“it meant a lot. It felt good.”
Mark Williams on his Suns debut in 120-116 comeback win.
On coming off the bench: “A little different, but it was what we needed.” #Suns pic.twitter.com/ZddERZ4UOB
— Duane Rankin (@DuaneRankin) October 23, 2025Mark Williams makes Suns debut off the bench
The Suns have had Mark Williams on a conditioning plan since July 1 in preparing him for his first season in Phoenix. They traded two first-round picks to Charlotte during the 2025 NBA Draft to land the 7-footer. Placing an emphasis on rebuilding his body, particularly his lower frame in terms of strength, Williams worked his way up to playing live 5-on-5 days before the opener.
Ott started Oso Ighodaro at center the first three preseason games with Nick Richards and rookie Khaman Maluach serving as backups. Ott started Ighodaro again on Wednesday, bringing Williams off the bench with a target number of minutes.
Richards also saw action in the opener while Maluach didn’t play.
Williams finished with six points and a game-high 11 boards in 24 minutes. Ott explained his reasoning for bringing Williams off the bench with the minute restriction and having him available if needed late in the game.
Williams played nine of his 24 minutes in the fourth quarter. He didn’t score in the fourth, but was a physical presence, grabbing seven rebounds in the quarter.
Williams is a starting center in this league. He started 41 of his 44 games with Charlotte last season. Teams don’t trade two first-round picks for a guy and have him come off the bench, but Williams’ injury history has the Suns thinking long-term.
Plus, they do have depth at the center position.
Jordan Ott said he didn’t think they’d be tested like that this early, but noted outscoring Kings 36-21 in the 3rd quarter.
In explaining why Mark Williams came off the bench, Ott said they had minutes to use late in the game.
Played 24 minutes. 6 points and 11 rebounds. #Suns pic.twitter.com/HTnr9VdF6M
— Duane Rankin (@DuaneRankin) October 23, 2025Why the Suns trailed by 20 in first half
The Suns were slow on contesting Sacramento’s talented scorers of LaVine, DeRozan and Monk. Those three were way too comfortable and getting to their scoring zones.
Phoenix also shot just 39.2% in the first half, going 3-of-17 from 3. Ott liked the looks, but the Suns were passing up shots and dribbling into more challenging ones.
How the Suns came back
Down 17 at the half, Phoenix went on a 24-9 run to pull within a point after trailing by 16.
The Suns continued that momentum with an 11-0 run early in the fourth. Royce O’Neale hit back-to-back 3s, Allen nailed a deep one and Collin Gillespie capped the run with a bucket, forcing Sacramento to call a timeout with Phoenix up seven, 101-94, with 8:27 left.
This was with Booker and Brooks on the bench.
Defensively, the Suns limited the Kings to 36.7% shooting in the second half after allowing Sacramento to cook them for 64.4% shooting in the first half.
The Kings were 7-of-13 in the first half, but they went only 2-of-8 in the second half from distance. The Suns began switching in the second half, picked up the defensive pressure and forced tougher shots by the Kings.
“Being down 20 points and flipping it and going on a run and doing it together.”
Devin Booker after Suns 20-point comeback win over Sacramento Kings in season opener. #Suns pic.twitter.com/IrbNSRthRI
— Duane Rankin (@DuaneRankin) October 23, 2025Booker, Brooks and Allen close Suns win
Booker, Brooks and Allen combined for 22 of Phoenix’s 30 points in the fourth.
The Suns are going to need Booker to have many more 30-point nights as their offense struggled without him in the first half.
Brooks couldn’t find the range from 3 and, at times, was trying to force plays, but he found his offense. More importantly, he imposed his defensive will and mentality on the game, leading what he called a “wear-down” effect on the Kings.
As for Allen, he played all but two seconds in the fourth. That extra conditioning is paying off early for him.
From Wednesday:
“Havoc.”
Royce O’Neale describing what Dillon Brooks brings after Suns top Kings in opener.
On back-to-back 3s in 11-0 run in 4th: “Game is always about patience, finding the open looks.” pic.twitter.com/YiWy31EkUI
— Duane Rankin (@DuaneRankin) October 23, 2025What they said
“We knew we would be tested at some point early in the season, I don’t know if we expected it that early. Things just weren’t going well early in the game, we couldn’t make a shot. I felt like we got good looks. They hit a couple of tough ones and it kind of just snowballed. Until that third quarter, 36-21, that’s what we’re about. Bounce back, stay in it, stay together. That spirit, it just uplifts us from the bench, from the crowd, and you could feel it there in that third quarter, especially early. That was fun.” – Suns coach Jordan Ott
“We started switching a lot. Just trying to pick up the intensity, pick up the effort and it felt like they (the Kings) were way too comfortable in the first half getting everything that they wanted. We understand that they’ll make tough shots with very talented players but just making it a little bit more uncomfortable and I think we did a pretty good job.” – Suns guard Devin Booker.
“There was definitely a wear-down effect on DeMar (DeRozan). He is a great player. We wore down on Zach (LaVine), too. We couldn’t find him in the fourth quarter, which was great, especially when we found that lead and they needed threes, and that’s what they go to. We just attacked their defense, and their defense wasn’t that strong; they don’t have inside protection. And that first half we turned over the basketball, we were missing shots, but that’s our resilience, and we’re on to the next.”- Suns forward Dillon Brooks.
“We obviously don’t want to give up points in the paint. They came out strong in the third quarter. And I think that’s my point of emphasis, that we just didn’t even respond to it. So we got to be able to do a better job with that, especially when you have a team down by that much at halftime. Those first five minutes (of the third quarter) are crucial. That’s where you can either let them back in the game or put it away. And obviously we didn’t get it done.” – Kings forward Zach LaVine.
“They can’t have 30-some second-chance points, 28, the rebound count was terrible. That’s all on us. … We knew that crashing (the boards) was the thing. We knew they were shooting threes. We knew the rebounds were going to be long. It’s all on us. With (Domantas Sabonis) and (Keegan Murray) out, there’s obviously a lack of depth in the front court.” – Kings guard Malik Monk.
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.