Overview
- The Suns, who beat the Mavericks 112-107 on Wednesday, locked up the No. 7 seed and home court to open the NBA Play-In.
- Midway through the fourth quarter, rookie center Khaman Maluach met former Duke teammate Cooper Flagg at the rim for a clean block that swung momentum to Phoenix.
- Flagg, who finished with 11 points on 18 shots along with 11 rebounds and 6 assists, drove for a dunk try when Maluach erased it at the rim.
- After the stop he stared down Flagg and exchanged words, and the clip spread quickly across social media.
- In his first NBA start, Maluach posted 4 points, 14 rebounds, and 3 blocks in 30 minutes, drawing praise from Devin Booker for his vocal defense and value heading into the Play-In.