The Suns defeated the Knicks, and Jordan Ott praised the second unit for setting the pace for the team.
2026-01-19 07:39
Thanks to goals from Devin Booker, Grayson Allen, and Mark Williams, the Phoenix Suns defeated the New York Knicks 106-99 on the road in another NBA regular season game of the 2025/26 season. Head coach Jordan Ott stated that the second unit had a significant impact on the game and dictated the pace of the game.
According to the data, Devin Booker scored 27 points and 4 assists for the Phoenix Suns in this game, Grayson Allen scored 16 points and 3 assists, and Mark Williams contributed 14 points and 1 assist.
Phoenix Suns head coach Jordan Ott said, "I think our overall defense was very high, especially from the end of the third quarter to the fourth. Our second unit played exceptionally well both times they came on, and their energy really dictated the pace of the game. As a young player, Mark Williams has shown remarkable growth. In some possessions, his rim protection was elite."
"Device Booker played the entire first and third quarters. Even though his shooting touch wasn't at its best, he was still able to consistently create scoring opportunities and get to the free-throw line, which helped us a lot. Grayson Allen and Grispe also played until they were near their physical limits. We felt that Grayson Allen was a bit tired at the beginning of the fourth quarter, so we brought Jordan Goodwin in to handle the ball and stabilize the situation, and he gave us a lot of playing time."
Jordan Ott pointed out, "A lot of the time our offensive rebounds come from the guards, but we don't just rely on offensive rebounds; we also try to force turnovers through defense to compensate for the disadvantage in possessions. We have to find a way to use enough physicality when Anunoby drives to the basket and try to keep him out of the paint and beyond the free-throw line."
“Starting from the middle of the first quarter, our game gradually got back on track. Even though we missed shots at the beginning, we still believed in our way of playing.”
In addition, Jordan Ott said, "We knew they would fight back, so we wanted to take the initiative, and we did. The energy of the second unit helped us go into the fourth quarter with an advantage."
