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PHOENIX SUNS

Khaman Maluach posts 22-point, 19-rebound game in G League Valley Suns win

Phoenix Suns rookies Khaman Maluach and Rasheer Fleming combined for 35 points in a comeback win in the G League on Thursday.

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Phoenix Suns rookies Khaman Maluach and Rasheer Fleming combined for 35 points in the G League on Thursday, as the Valley Suns came back to beat the San Diego Clippers 121-118.

Maluach finished with 22 points, 19 rebounds and four blocks in 32 minutes. He was 1-for-2 from 3, with the make coming out of a pick-and-pop action.

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Maluach is now averaging 21.3 points, 16 rebounds and 3.3 blocks per game over his last three outings in the G League (31 minutes per contest).

After the big man’s last Valley Suns game — 27 points, 15 rebounds and three blocks on Dec. 3 — Phoenix head coach Jordan Ott emphasized the importance of not getting caught up in one performance and instead riding the wave of progress.

Fleming hit the game-winning 3 to end that Dec. 3 game and while he had a colder night from the floor on Thursday (5-for-17 with 13 points), he was still active defensively with three steals.

He’s averaging 16.5 points and 8.3 rebounds in four G League games with 11-for-32 3-point shooting (32.4%).

The two draft picks had by far the best plus-minus on the team Thursday at +18 and +17, respectively.

Damion Baugh came up two assists shy of a triple-double, finishing with 23 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists. He cashed a tiebreaking, pull-up 3 with 2.2 seconds left as the Suns ended the game on a 16-2 run.

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Former Suns two-way guard TyTy Washington Jr. had 18 points, while one-time Arizona State Sun Devil Jaelen House added 17 for the Clippers.

Two-way guard and 41st overall pick Koby Brea (concussion protocol) did not play.

The G League squad plays its next game on Monday in Utah against the Salt Lake City Stars. Neither of Maluach and Fleming have played a road game in the G League yet.

After it was eliminated from the NBA Cup on Wednesday, Phoenix is off until Sunday when it hosts the Los Angeles Lakers.

Damon Allred ASU reporter, ArizonaSports.com editor

Damon Allred is the Arizona State reporter for Arizona Sports and is a web editor for arizonasports.com and KTAR.com. Born and raised in the Valley, Damon has lived in the metro Phoenix area for most of his life. He began covering ASU in fall 2024… Read more

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