Phoenix Suns First Basket Stats 2025-26: Who Scores First
Devin Booker scored the Suns’ first basket more than anyone in 2025-26: 16 times in 70 starts, or 23% of the games they started. Dillon Brooks was next with 15. The Suns made the game’s first field goal in 55% of their 88 games and won 71% of their opening tipoffs. Everything below is counted from the play-by-play of every 2025-26 game (1,225 regular season, 85 playoffs, 6 play-in).
Who scored the first basket for the Suns in 2025-26
First basket for team is the first field goal by any PHX player; first basket of game is the game’s first field goal by anyone. Rates are per game started.
| Player | Starts | First basket for PHX | Rate | First basket of game | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Devin Booker | 70 | 16 | 23% | 9 | 13% |
| Dillon Brooks | 62 | 15 | 24% | 5 | 8% |
| Collin Gillespie | 61 | 13 | 21% | 8 | 13% |
| Jalen Green | 33 | 11 | 33% | 5 | 15% |
| Grayson Allen | 27 | 9 | 33% | 6 | 22% |
| Mark Williams | 56 | 9 | 16% | 5 | 9% |
| Royce O’Neale | 67 | 7 | 10% | 5 | 7% |
| Jordan Goodwin | 13 | 3 | 23% | 2 | 15% |
| Oso Ighodaro | 29 | 2 | 7% | 1 | 3% |
| Nick Richards | 2 | 1 | 50% | 1 | 50% |
| Jamaree Bouyea | 1 | 1 | 100% | 1 | 100% |
| Ryan Dunn | 16 | 1 | 6% | 0 | 0% |
How often the Suns scored first
| Split | Games | Scored first | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| All games | 88 | 48 | 55% |
| Home | 45 | 27 | 60% |
| Away | 43 | 21 | 49% |
| Regular season | 82 | 44 | 54% |
| Play-in | 2 | 1 | 50% |
| Playoffs | 4 | 3 | 75% |
Opening tipoff
| Jumper | Tipoffs | Won | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mark Williams | 55 | 43 | 78% |
| Oso Ighodaro | 27 | 15 | 56% |
| Nick Richards | 2 | 1 | 50% |
| Khaman Maluach | 1 | 1 | 100% |
| Team | 85 | 60 | 71% |
How the Suns’ first baskets were scored
| Method | First baskets | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Other 2-pointer (jumper, hook, tip) | 33 | 38% |
| 3-pointer | 33 | 38% |
| Layup | 15 | 17% |
| Dunk | 7 | 8% |
2024-25
| Player | Starts | First basket for PHX | Rate | First basket of game | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Devin Booker | 75 | 23 | 31% | 12 | 16% |
| Kevin Durant | 62 | 16 | 26% | 10 | 16% |
| Bradley Beal | 38 | 12 | 32% | 7 | 18% |
| Ryan Dunn | 44 | 10 | 23% | 3 | 7% |
| Nick Richards | 34 | 5 | 15% | 2 | 6% |
| Tyus Jones | 58 | 4 | 7% | 1 | 2% |
| Jusuf Nurkic | 23 | 3 | 13% | 1 | 4% |
| Royce O’Neale | 22 | 2 | 9% | 2 | 9% |
Who scores the first basket most often for the Suns?
Devin Booker, with 16 of the Suns’ first baskets in 2025-26 (23% of their 70 starts), ahead of Dillon Brooks with 15.
How often do the Suns score first?
The Suns made the first field goal in 48 of 88 games in 2025-26 (55%): 60% at home and 49% on the road.
Who takes the opening tipoff for the Suns?
Mark Williams took 55 of the Suns’ 85 opening tips in 2025-26 and won 78% of them.
Is Devin Booker a good first basket bet?
That depends on the price. A player who scores first for their team in 23% of starts is worth a bet only when a book prices them below that, after adjusting for tonight’s lineup and opponent. Our models make that comparison every 30 minutes for every NBA game; see NBA first basket picks.
Source: NBA play-by-play and box scores, 2025-26. Updated October 13, 2026. See the NBA first basket leaders for every team, or all stats.