Suns got their first taste of preseason and it was a bitter loss to the kings 117-106

Phoenix-The Suns were defeated by the Sacramento Kings 117-106.

After getting a much needed rest after losing the series in the NBA Finals in July, the Suns finally took the stage in their preseason debut against the Kings. From the start of the game to mid-way in the third quarter, the Suns looked out of sync. They struggled to hit wide-open shots and turned the ball over. Phoenix went 11 out of 35 from behind the arc, but finished the game shooting around 48% from the field.

While trying to dig themselves out of a 20 point deficit late into the second half, Jalen Smith started to get into rhythm and found his stroke. He hit a couple of lay-ups and attacked his opponent as soon as he got the ball on the block. Smith was the bright spot for Phoenix, despite the loss. He gave them a lot of energy on both sides of the ball and was effective with moving without the ball. Smith finished the game with 13 points and 11 rebounds.

After the game, Phoenix's head coach Monty Williams talked about Smith and how he has improved his game. “I like the way he played,” Williams said. “He wasn’t afraid to take shots, rebounding the ball inside and outside of his area. He looked more comfortable defensively at the 4, but when he’s at the 5 he’s more effective.”