Phoenix Suns: 5 Lessons From Preseason Opener

With a 102-98 victory over the Sacramento Kings last night, the Phoenix Suns won their third preseason opener in a row and welcomed the newly christened Talking Stick Resort Arena with a win for its first official NBA game.

After getting off to a slow start that saw the Suns trail by double-digits, Phoenix’s second unit clawed its way back into the game to overcome the opening night jitters and what might have been another heartbreaking buzzer-beater had Darren Collison’s last-second attempt found the back of the net.

The Suns were led by Jon Leuer’s 17 points and 13 rebounds in 19 minutes off the bench, while T.J. Warren also chipped in 17 points on 8-of-14 shooting. Brandon Knight had 16 points on 6-of-11 shooting, while Eric Bledsoe finished with 13 points, four assists and four steals in 16 minutes.

ALSO ON VALLEY OF THE SUNS: 5 Goals For Eric Bledsoe In 2015-16

The Kings were led by Rudy Gay’s 30 points (10-of-13 shooting) and DeMarcus Cousins’ 15 points and eight rebounds.

In a meaningless preseason game, you wouldn’t think there was much to take away from the contest. But heading into the 2015-16 season with so many new faces, there were plenty of takeaways to be had in a preseason matchup that saw the home fans on their feet for the game’s final possessions.

Here’s a look at five things we learned about the 2015-16 Phoenix Suns from their preseason opener.

Next: No. 5