Phoenix Suns rookie Khaman Maluach recorded the first three-pointer of his NBA career Sunday, a moment that also broke a prolonged scoring drought for the team during a 92-77 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers.
Maluach, the 19-year-ancient center drafted 10th overall in 2025 by Houston and subsequently traded to Phoenix, connected on the shot in the first quarter, ending a stretch of 11 consecutive missed three-point attempts by the Suns. The 7-foot-1 Duke product finished the game with a career-high seven points on 3-of-5 shooting, along with a personal-best seven rebounds in 16 minutes of play.
The opportunity for extended playing time came as a surprise, marking only the second time this season Maluach has seen action in the first half of a game. His previous first-half appearance occurred on October 25 against the Denver Nuggets, where he played just over 12 minutes and scored six points.
Despite Maluach’s contribution, the Suns struggled offensively, scoring a season-low 40 points in the first half and shooting 2-of-19 from beyond the arc. The team ultimately finished the game at 9 of 35 from three-point range (26%), and recorded their fewest points in a game since 2017 with 77 total.
The game also saw notable contributions from fellow Suns rookies Rasheer Fleming and Koby Brea. Fleming added six points and two steals, whereas Brea hit one of two three-point attempts in his two fourth-quarter minutes. Notably, Maluach, Fleming, and Brea were the only Suns players to finish the game with a positive plus-minus, posting +6, +2, and +1 respectively.
Maluach had previously shot 0-for-8 on three-pointers in NBA games, and 30.8% from beyond the arc in 10 games with the G League’s Valley Suns, where he has spent the majority of his first professional season. Fleming entered the game shooting 25% from three-point range (12-of-48) in 31 games played.
