What happened in Phoenix?!
Don’t look now, but the sun is absolutely set right now. The last time we saw him on the field in the playoffs, the organization apologized for his performance. After a drama-fueled off-season, Phoenix elder Deandre Ayton said it felt like a cloud was over the franchise.
These eerie vibes reappeared on the court as the team made their presidency debut against the Adelaide 36ers in Australia’s NBL on Sunday evening.
Although 36 players were 28-point underdogs in the match against the Suns, who had the best record in the NBA last season, they were actually able to emerge as the impossible winners in the game.
ESPN’s Kevin Pelton noted that this was the first time a non-NBA team had defeated an NBA team during a preseason exhibition since Turkey’s Fenerbahce defeated the Nets in 2015.
Adelaide also became the first NBL team from Australia to defeat an NBA team during the preseason. Adelaide’s total payroll is just over $1 million, while Phoenix’s is over $167 million. The 36ers were one of the worst teams in the NBL last season.
Phoenix’s perimeter defense looked particularly poor in this match as the 36ers shot 55.8% on 3-pointers, connecting on 24 shots from beyond the arc.
Craig Randall and Robert Franks combined for 67 points, accounting for 15 of Adelaide’s 3-pointers. Mitch McCarron finished the game with 16 assists, 9 rebounds, 3 steals and 1 block.
