Suns Sent Statement to NBA in Win vs Pistons

The Phoenix Suns are here. No questions about it.

Jan 29, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Phoenix Suns forward Dillon Brooks (3) celebrates a three point shot against the Detroit Pistons in the second half at Mortgage Matchup Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

PHOENIX — The Phoenix Suns are for real.

After shattering preseason projections, the Suns are 29-19 and buzzing after their most recent 18-point win over the Eastern Conference-leading Detroit Pistons on Thursday. Phoenix, without their two top players in Devin Booker and Jalen Green, handled one of the NBA's best teams.

“That's what changes programs. Players. Players do it. When you have Dillon Brooks, that does that. Book (Devin Booker) as a worker. Grayson (Allen) Royce (O’Neale), like all those guys, they set the tone," Suns coach Jordan Ott said after the win.

"We can have a vision, we can have an idea. You can have a concept, but to put it in action, it comes back to the players. We're in a good place. We got more to go, but definitely that tone was set early, even before the game started.”

The Suns are nearing completion of a January that's seen them defeat the likes of Oklahoma City, New York and Philadelphia on the schedule even as stars have come and gone through the lineup due to injuries.

Phoenix has impressed at nearly every stop all season while working through growing pains all at the same time. The process hasn't been pretty, but thus far it's netted them a 29-19 record with playoffs comfortably in expectations now. Phoenix (currently seventh in the West) is also just one game back from the No. 4 seed and three games back from the No. 3 spot.

Entering Friday, the Suns are a top-five team in terms of points allowed (111.2), steals (10.2) and deflections (20.6) per game.

Phoenix is a tough, physical team that hustles for 48 minutes each night. Sure, they don't have the likes of Kevin Durant or Bradley Beal to add to their star power — but Phoenix's gamble this offseason has paid massive dividends.

”To start the game, they outworked us," Pistons coach J.B. Bickerstaff said after the loss in Phoenix. "The things that we typically do well in the first half, they did better than us. Give them credit, they came out with something to prove, they played with a high level of intensity, and played really well tonight.”

The Suns won't have any championship parades planned soon. We'll see how postseason expectations ultimately defines this group down the stretch, though they've got plenty of road ahead before NBA Finals talks are close to legitimate.

Yet the Suns sent a message to the rest of the NBA last night. Without their two best players, they convincingly put their foot down against a Pistons team poised to make their own deep playoff run.

They're far past being a surprising team or a mere fun storyline as the NBA All-Star break arrives.

The Suns are here. And hopefully, are here to stay.