Suns eliminated from Summer League playoff contention, play consolation game Saturday

The Phoenix Suns (3-1) were officially eliminated from NBA Summer League tournament contention on Thursday, missing out on the four-team semifinal bracket.

Despite a strong showing, Phoenix ultimately finished seventh in the standings. Because the tournament’s primary tiebreaker to resolve identical records is average point differential, the Suns’ plus-3.8 point differential was not quite enough to squeeze them into the top four.

While Phoenix missed the cut, the playoff field is officially set. The four teams advancing to the Summer League semifinals are:

• Los Angeles Lakers: Clinched the No. 1 seed with a perfect 4-0 record.
• Golden State Warriors: Grabbed the final semifinal spot.
• Memphis Grizzlies: Secured their ticket after a dominant blowout win.
• Houston Rockets: Locked in a spot to round out the bracket.

The semifinal matchups will take place on Saturday, July 18, featuring the Lakers vs. Warriors and the Grizzlies vs. Rockets.

Before learning they would not reach the semifinals, the Suns made the decision to shut down their standout trio of Khaman Maluach, Rasheer Fleming and Koa Peat for the remainder of their stay in Las Vegas. The decision, reported by Arizona Sports’ John Gambadoro, was a preemptive move to protect the team’s prized young assets ahead of training camp.

“After a highly successful four games in the Summer League, the Suns will shut down Khaman Maluach, Rasheer Fleming and Koa Peat,” Gambadoro reported on X. “They won’t play in any other Summer League games.”

With the stars sidelined and a Summer League trophy out of reach, the Suns will pivot to a consolation matchup.

Phoenix will face off against the San Antonio Spurs on Saturday to wrap up their Summer League schedule. Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m. MST, and the game will be broadcast nationally on Prime Video.

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