Suns Blow a 19-Point Lead, Fall to Pistons in Opener

Lead Slips Away. Phoenix built a 19-point cushion and led 68-50 at the half, only to get outscored in the third and fourth quarters as Detroit pulled off a 107-109 comeback win on Oct. 5 in the preseason opener. No lead changes through three quarters made the finish sting more.

Bench Outscores Starters. Phoenix's bench put up 60 points to the starters' 46, with Jamaree Bouyea's 9 and Luke Kennard's 9 leading the reserves. Plus-minus told a different story: Bouyea finished at -19 in 17 minutes, worst on the roster, while Booker, Brooks and Green all stayed on the floor during Phoenix's best stretches.

Bulls Come Next. Phoenix visits Chicago on Oct. 7, still in the preseason, against a Bulls team adjusting to head coach Tiago Splitter after a 31-51 finish last season. Zach Collins and Nic Claxton are both day-to-day for Chicago, while Norman Powell, last season's leading scorer at 21.7 points, headlines a Bulls roster the Suns have not yet faced this season.

Williams Still Out. Mark Williams remains out with a left shoulder issue, with an estimated return date of Feb. 3, 2027. The center spot stays open into the preseason, with Duop Reath and CJ Huntley both cleared from day-to-day designations this week but not yet tested in a Suns uniform.

Brooks' Minutes Climb. Dillon Brooks is playing eight more minutes a night than usual over his last three outings, up to 39 minutes and 28.7 points a game, while a teammate has been sidelined. The sample is short, but it is the clearest sign yet of how much Phoenix leans on him when the rotation thins.

Payroll Still Tight. Phoenix's $216.2 million payroll remains above the $200.4 million luxury tax line, with Booker's $57.1 million the largest piece. That leaves little room to add pieces once the games start counting, even as the Suns sort out a rotation still built around camp battles up front.