Suns players volunteer at community Thanksgiving event
The Phoenix Suns/Phoenix Mercury Foundation partnered with St. Vincent de Paul to hold a Thanksgiving event on Nov. 20, 2025.
Collin Gillespie and Mark Williams scored 21 points to lead the Suns to victory.Phoenix’s win keeps them in contention to win their NBA Cup group, with a crucial game against the Oklahoma City Thunder up next.
SACRAMENTO – The Phoenix Suns led by as many as 25 points on Nov. 26 in the first half of their 112-100 win over the Sacramento Kings in NBA Cup West Group A play before a sellout crowd of 17,961 at Golden 1 Center.
Collin Gillespie and Mark Williams paced the Suns (12-7) with 21 points each in a response victory after a 22-point home loss two nights earlier to the Houston Rockets.
Keegan Murray and Russell Westbrook led the Kings (5-14) with 19 points apiece.
Gillespie scored 11 points in the first quarter of his first start of the season. Shooting 4-of-9 from 3, Gillespie posted nine assists to four turnovers in 34 minutes.
Williams grabbed 16 rebounds with nine coming on the offensive end in his return after sitting out the second of a back-to-back against the Rockets with right knee injury management.
Phoenix led, 41-16, at the end of one to mark their largest advantage to end the first quarter this season.
The Suns shot 6-of-14 from 3, committed just one turnover and scored 12 points off seven Sacramento turnovers in the game’s opening 12 minutes.
The Kings trailed by 22 points at halftime, but they trailed only 94-86 with eight minutes left in the game before Phoenix responded with an 8-0 run, capped by two-way player Jamaree Bouyea’s it deep 3, forcing the Kings to call a timeout with 5:53 left.
Here are takeaways as the Suns prepare for a road showdown Nov. 28 against Oklahoma City.
Suns NBA Cup scenarios
The Suns and Thunder (18-1) are 3-0 in West Group A play.
If Phoenix beats Oklahoma City, it’ll win West Group A and host an NBA Cup quarterfinal game.
If the Suns lose, they can still clinch a wild-card spot in the West if they have a higher point differential than Friday’s Memphis Grizzlies-Los Angeles Clippers winner.
The Suns have a +35, the Grizzlies are at +14 and the Clippers stand at -9. The Grizzlies and Clippers are 2-1 in West Group B behind the 3-0 Los Angeles Lakers.
Gillespie ‘deserved’ starting nod
Suns coach Jordan Ott came up with several reasons to explain why Gillespie started Wednesday’s game.
Another ball handler after seeing the necessity for one in the loss to Houston.
Jordan Goodwin can return to a “comfort zone” of coming off the bench.
Then Ott finally said Gillespie deserves to start based on the way he’s been playing.
Could’ve just started and ended it with that final statement, but context is always appreciated and respected.
With Jalen Green (right hamstring strain), Grayson Allen (right quad contusion) and Ryan Dunn (right wrist sprain) still sidelined, the Suns needed another ball handler, 3-point shooter and competitor on the defensive end to start the game.
Gillespie checks all those boxes, just in a 6-1 frame. In his past five games, Gillespie is averaging 18.2 points, hitting 18-of-38 from 3, and 5.4 assists to 2.4 turnovers.
Collin Gillespie on Jordan Ott saying he deserved to start in Suns 112-100 win Wednesday at Kings: “I appreciate it. Everybody has confidence in each othe. The staff has confidence in all 18 of us and I have a ton of confidence in myself to go out there and try to run the… pic.twitter.com/vIGOqU1tBE
— Duane Rankin (@DuaneRankin) November 27, 2025
Devin Booker said he loves playing with Gillespie.
Dillon Brooks gave him the “Villain Jr.” nickname.
These are the two main team leaders. So that leads to the following question.
Should Ott start Gillespie even when Green, Allen and Dunn return?
The Suns could start Gillespie, Booker, Allen, Brooks and Williams, and have O’Neale come off the bench, but that’s a smallish lineup outside of the 7-foot Williams.
Maybe start the 6-8 O’Neale instead of 6-4 Allen?
Jordan Ott said the “goal” is to get Grayson Allen back “this weekend” from a right quad contusion.
Will miss 6th straight game tonight at Kings.
Next 3: Fri. at OKC, Sat. vs Nuggets. Mon. at Lakers.
“Thought it was day-to-day. It’s dragged on a little bit. It was just not… pic.twitter.com/nZgD9XTb6N
— Duane Rankin (@DuaneRankin) November 27, 2025
Brooks, Allen, O’Neale and Gillespie are averaging career highs in points.
Ott doesn’t have to make this call right now because Green won’t be re-evaluated until next month, but he will have a decision to make.
A big one.
Turnovers determining Phoenix’s wins, losses?
A team’s fate shouldn’t be determined by one stat, but turnovers continue to serve as Phoenix’s barometer for success.
In their 1-4 start, the Suns were 26th in the NBA in turnovers at 17.8 and last in points allowed off turnovers at 27.4.
When they flipped their season with a 10-2 run, the Suns averaged 15.8 turnovers and surrendered 19.2 points off turnovers.
Here’s more evidence.
In their 114-92 loss to Houston, the Suns committed 21 turnovers that led to 26 points for the Rockets.
Two days later, Phoenix committed just six turnovers that led to 11 Sacramento points in building a 22-point halftime lead. The Suns were outscored by 10 in the second half and, guess what? They yielded 11 turnovers that led to 15 Kings points.
The Suns have Booker as the primary ball handler, but Ott is trying to have others initiate the offense to take some of that burden off his franchise player.
Kings talented, but
I’m taking the early L on this one, having predicted the Kings would finish ahead of the Suns.
The prediction looked good for a half in the season opener Oct. 22 at Mortgage Matchup Center when Sacramento took a 20-point lead late in the first half, but the Suns outscored the Kings, 76-52, the rest of the way.
A month later, Phoenix took a 67-45 halftime lead in Wednesday’s rematch.
The Kings’ Domantas Sabonis missed both games to injury, and Dennis Schroder sat out Nov. 26 with a sore right hip.
Sacramento still has Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan, Malik Monk, Keon Ellis and rookie Nique Crawford, along with Murray and Westbrook. And the Kings just beat Denver and Minnesota, before their disastrous opening 12 minutes at home against the Suns.
No wonder fans booed.
Have opinions about the current state of the Suns? Reach Suns Insider Duane Rankin at dmrankin@gannett.com or contact him at 480-810-5518. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter, at @DuaneRankin.
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