Phoenix gave rookie center Khaman Maluach his first NBA start on Wednesday night against the Dallas Mavericks, inserting the 7-foot-1 big man into the opening lineup at Mortgage Matchup Center. The Suns were without Mark Williams, who sat out the second night of a back-to-back, and kept Oso Ighodaro on the bench.
The move came after Maluach had hardly played in the three games since Williams returned. From March 5-30, he had carved out his best stretch of the season, averaging 14.3 minutes, 4.4 rebounds, 1.6 offensive boards, 1.1 blocks and 4.6 points per game. Before Wednesday, though, he had not started an NBA game.
That run mattered because Phoenix has been fighting to secure every inch of the Western Conference standings. The Suns had already clinched a spot in the play-in tournament, but they entered Wednesday two games ahead of the Los Angeles Clippers for the seventh seed with three games left, and the division-record tiebreaker was still undecided.
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Rebounding has been one of the clearest pressure points. Phoenix was coming off a 119-105 loss to the Houston Rockets on Tuesday, a game in which Houston grabbed 24 offensive rebounds and out-rebounded the Suns 55-34. Against that backdrop, the Suns turned to Maluach for size and rim protection, starting him alongside Devin Booker, Dillon Brooks, Jordan Goodwin and Jalen Green.
The switch also came with a wrinkle. Goodwin, who had been named Phoenix’s winner of the annual Majerle Hustle Award for hustle, grit and determination, and Green both exited the game against Dallas with injuries after tipoff. That left the Suns even thinner on the same night they tried a new look in the middle.
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Dallas opened with Cooper Flagg, Khris Middleton, Marvin Bagley III, Max Christie and Ryan Nembhard. The game was scheduled to air at 7 p.m. MST on 98.7 and the Arizona Sports app, but the more immediate story for Phoenix was whether Maluach’s first start could steady a rotation that has changed shape around Williams’ absence and return. For now, the Suns have made their answer clear: they are willing to hand the rookie a larger stage when the standings and the glass both demand it.
