Now this is a way to start the preseason.
The Phoenix Suns will open their five-game preseason schedule on the road on Oct. 8 against Monty Williams and the Detroit Pistons, the team announced Monday morning.
The Suns fired Williams after the 2022-23 season. The Pistons later signed him to a six-year, $78.5-million contract, making him the highest-paid coach in NBA history.
Williams took the job after Phoenix had its second-worst season in franchise history at 19-63. He coached the Suns to the 2021 NBA Finals and a franchise-best 64-18 season in 2021-22 and won NBA Coach of the Year honors, but was let go after back-to-back playoff exits in the Western Conference semifinals.
The full Suns preseason schedule is as follows:
- Oct. 8 at Detroit Pistons. Little Caesars Arena, noon.
- Oct. 10 vs. Denver Nuggets, Footprint Center, 7 p.m.
- Oct. 12 at Portland Trail Blazers, Moda Center, 7 p.m.
- Oct. 16 vs. Portland Trail Blazers, Footprint Center, 7 p.m.
- Oct. 19 vs. Los Angeles Lakers, Acrisure Arena, Palm Desert, 7 p.m.
The games will be shown on Arizona’s Family, streamed on Kiswe and broadcast on Arizona Sports 98.7 and KSUN La Mejor Radio.
Have opinion about current state of the Suns? Reach Suns Insider Duane Rankin at dmrankin@gannett.com or contact him at 480-787-1240. Follow him on Twitter at @DuaneRankin.
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