PHOENIX — On a night in which the Phoenix Suns could not hold onto the basketball, with their leading scorers both disqualified because of fouls, head coach Jordan Ott put the ball in the hands of a young guard in the midst of a breakout season.
It could be argued that Collin Gillespie has produced Phoenix’s biggest two plays of this young season. The first took place Sunday in a home loss to Atlanta, the third-year guard diving out of bounds to secure a loose ball, a play that led to an easy Phoenix layup.
The second unfolded Friday night, Gillespie driving right, hanging in the air and sinking a short jumper to sink the Minnesota Timberwolves, 114-113, in a wild NBA Cup clash at Mortgage Matchup Center. It marked the Suns’ biggest win and their seventh in eight tries.
If all this has caught you off guard, a reserve guard contributing at such a high level, becoming an early contender for the NBA’s Sixth Man award, it’s OK. Gillespie’s former college coach understands.
“I’m not surprised this time,” Jay Wright said by phone hours before Friday’s contest. “It’s kind of what I expected of him in the NBA. But I know why everyone else is surprised because I didn’t expect him to be the kind of player he was at Villanova until we got him there and we saw him on the floor against (former Villanova standout and current Knicks star) Jalen Brunson.”
The Suns trailed 113-105 in the final minute. Then — craziness. Phoenix forward Royce O’Neale scored. Then, a Minnesota turnover. Phoenix guard Jordan Goodwin swished a 3. Another Minnesota turnover. Goodwin scored again. Minnesota’s Anthony Edwards missed two free throws.
Trailing 113-112 with 11.5 seconds left, Ott called timeout. With Devin Booker and Dillon Brooks fouled out, Ott knew exactly where he wanted the ball. In Gillespie’s hands. His call: Have O’Neale set a ball screen. Get the switch. Let Gillespie create.
“There was no indecision,” Ott said.
“As soon as we broke the huddle,” Goodwin said, “you heard someone say, ‘C’mon, Collin. Go ahead and bring us home.’”
Let’s rewind. To the Atlanta game. To the play that symbolized not only Gillespie, but the Suns and the style they want to play.
Late in the third quarter, Brooks missed a 3-pointer from the key. As the ball bounced toward the corner, Gillespie raced in from the opposite wing, diving to save the ball from going out of bounds. In the air, he batted the ball toward the basket with his right hand. Goodwin picked it up and scored. The Phoenix bench erupted.
The Athletic this week texted this play to Gillespie’s former college coaches. Their reaction: Classic Collin.
Collin Gillespie’s energy is undefeated 🔥 pic.twitter.com/yD4ZrKUugu
— NBA Philippines (@NBA_Philippines) November 17, 2025
Before discussing it Friday, University at Buffalo head coach George Halcovage III felt he needed to disclose something important. In the summer of 2023, the former Villanova assistant and wife Lizzy had a son. They named him after Gillespie — Collin George Gillespie.
Or “CG” for short.
“My wife got to know Collin really well. and for us, for she and I, he became a guy that we were really super close with,” Halcovage said. “When we knew we were having a boy, we loved the name Collin already, but really the icing on the cake was it would always mean the world to us that we want our son to be that kind of young man and attack life the way Collin does. So am I surprised (at this)? Absolutely not.”
Undrafted in 2022, Gillespie is one of three players in NBA history to post 150-plus points, 60-plus rebounds and 75-plus assists off the bench through 15 games. (Charlotte’s LaMelo Ball in 2020-21 was the first; Miami’s Jaime Jaquez Jr. has also done it this year.) He not only has anchored Phoenix’s second unit, he has made it difficult for Ott to take him off the court. At times, Halcovage texts Gillespie with a simple message — “Just keep doing what you do.”
Like the Atlanta play. Halcovage planned to show it to his Buffalo team before Saturday’s practice, telling the Bulls, “Guys, this is why we’re doing what we do.”
Matt Fraschilla was with Gillespie for all five of Gillespie’s years at Villanova, the first two as a graduate assistant, the last three as video coordinator. As video coordinator, Fraschilla helped put together hype videos that Villanova watched before games. They consisted of the program’s best hustle plays from the previous contest — diving on the floor, offensive rebounds, deflections. Gillespie always played a starring role.
“Collin, this is how he’s been his whole career,” Fraschilla said after watching the Atlanta hustle play. “He doesn’t care that it’s November — he has one mode, and that’s he’s going to play harder than you, he’s going to try his best to play smarter than you, and he’s going to out-compete you. That’s just what he does.”
Which is why Wright understands how Phoenix fans and others might have underestimated Gillespie’s impact. He did the same. When Gillespie signed with Villanova, both Wright and Gillespie agreed that the point guard would redshirt his first season, giving him time to develop. Then Wright watched Gillespie, the son of a Philly cop, compete against Brunson, an All-American, in practice.
“He was physically battling with Jalen Brunson every day, and halfway through the preseason we all said, ‘We can’t afford to redshirt this guy. He’s too good,’” Wright said. “We never expected it. But we found — and I think people (in Phoenix) are seeing it now — he’s much more physical and he’s much more athletic than he appears when you look at him. And it’s almost like you got to see it against other athletes to really appreciate it.”
After Gillespie sank the runner Friday night, Minnesota had six seconds to win. Donte DiVincenzo inbounded to Edwards, who, despite the missed foul shots, had 41 points. Goodwin tried to pick up Edwards, but the Minnesota guard was already past him. Gillespie slid over, forcing Edwards to give up the ball.
This impressed Ott as much as the shot.
“The defensive awareness to then know where the ball is going,” the Phoenix coach said. “It’s inbounded to Ant, he basically double-teams Ant so Ant has to pass the ball. Just the awareness to go on to the next play is everything.”
“I’m not surprised this time,” former Villanova coach Jay Wright says of Gillespie’s success. “But … I didn’t expect him to be the kind of player he was at Villanova until we got him there.” (Mark J. Rebilas / Imagn Images)
Julius Randle missed a long 3 at the buzzer. The Suns improved to 10-6. Teammates mobbed Gillespie, who finished with 20 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists. They surrounded him while he did an on-court television interview. Phoenix had committed 28 turnovers, coughed up an 18-point lead — and survived. It wasn’t even Booker (16 points, nine turnovers) who had saved them. It was everyone, a team of role players, no one more than Gillespie.
“CG, he’s a hooper,” Brooks said in the Phoenix locker room. “And he battles every day.”
Gillespie, 26, had spent the previous two seasons on two-way contracts, the first in Denver, the second in Phoenix. Over the summer, he signed a one-year deal to stay with the Suns. After Friday’s win, he embraced the moment but deflected the praise. He said he wasn’t sure how the Suns rallied. It had happened so quickly. He just knew they didn’t quit. And when his moment came, he was ready.
“He’s growing,” Ott said. “He’s in situations like tonight that he’s probably never been in at the NBA level. But he’s going to continue to get better. He’s finding solutions out there on the fly.”
Maybe this was never in doubt. Those close to Gillespie insist they saw his NBA potential at Villanova, where Gillespie was a two-time Big East Player of the Year. He just needed time. Fraschilla, the former video coordinator, recalled a conversation he had with a pro scout.
Can this kid be an NBA player?
“He will will himself to be an NBA player,” Fraschilla had said. “I don’t know if you care to draft him or believe me, but he will will his way into being an NBA player. Now, for how many years, starter/non-starter, whatever. But he’s going to be in the NBA. And he’s going to play.”
And might just be getting started.