{"id":517661,"date":"2026-01-05T07:06:13","date_gmt":"2026-01-05T07:06:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/517661\/"},"modified":"2026-01-05T07:06:13","modified_gmt":"2026-01-05T07:06:13","slug":"suns-special-start-reaches-new-peak-in-win-over-thunder","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/517661\/","title":{"rendered":"Suns’ special start reaches new peak in win over Thunder"},"content":{"rendered":"

PHOENIX \u2014 The game has a way of rewarding you if you treat it right, and the Phoenix Suns\u2019 unreal tenacity on Sunday night through their firmly-etched identity was given that reward in the form of a 108-105 win-of-the-season over the Oklahoma City Thunder.<\/p>\n

Oklahoma City swiftly dispatches so many opponents as the league\u2019s premier team thanks to often-seamless execution through employing an ultra-physical downhill style of basketball. The two monumental challenges the Thunder present is jumbling up their rhythm to discombobulate that execution, which is most often done through matching their rough-and-tough methods to an appropriate limit.<\/p>\n

The Suns (21-14) did that for the second time in three matchups and were gifted with just enough shot-making from the basketball gods to snatch a win.<\/p>\n

Phoenix shot only 44%, and OKC (30-6) opponents since the start of last season came into the night with a record of 5-58 when failing to crack 45% shooting, per Stathead<\/a>.<\/p>\n

But the Suns in many ways beat the Thunder at their own game. Phoenix survived a 16-9 turnover discrepancy by going only -3 in points off turnovers while going +10 in free-throw attempts. Oklahoma City started getting called for fouls it\u2019s not used to, and that\u2019s because the Suns tip-toed that line of matching the aggression expertly. Oftentimes, opponents try to out-do OKC in that regard, and by default commit far too many fouls. It was a mature and smart performance out of Phoenix in that regard, though.<\/p>\n

And the Suns also beat Oklahoma City by what they do best themselves, dominating the offensive glass 12-2 and going +7 in 3-point makes.<\/p>\n

Beyond the numbers and inside the flow of each possession, the Suns\u2019 execution was right\u00a0there in the first half. 11-0 runs at the end of each of the first two quarters salvaged an awful offensive half of 42 points. This half was the most visibly upset Suns head coach Jordan Ott had looked on the sidelines all year, showing some frustration here and there because he knew how close his guys were to taking down the best team in basketball.<\/p>\n

\u201cHonestly in the first half I thought we played very well,\u201d Ott said of it. \u201cTo be down seven, I thought we had played very well and I knew our process was right, the data that we saw at halftime was with us. \u2026 We thought at halftime we were right there. We just had to get out of the locker room into that third quarter, forcing them to call the first timeout, which they did.\u201d<\/p>\n

That timeout came just 73 seconds into the third quarter, a mini-victory Ott surely celebrated in his head, knowing that from there this game would absolutely be up for grabs.<\/p>\n

It was.<\/p>\n

The Suns overcame an 18-point deficit in the second quarter, and each time in the second half that Oklahoma City started to give any resemblance of an elite squad churning a bit, Phoenix bit right back to keep the game within reach.<\/p>\n

From there, big shot after big shot fell for the Suns.<\/p>\n

Key reserve Jordan Goodwin topped his previous career high in 3-pointers of five with eight, nearly matching OKC\u2019s team total of 10 for a career-high 26 points. He continued to be the guy the Thunder were OK with helping off, rightfully so honestly given his lack of efficiency, and he burned them in every quarter.<\/p>\n

Beyond that, Dillon Brooks hit a gorgeous step-back 3 over Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to put Phoenix up four at 36 seconds left with the MVP\u2019s own move, a little bump via a slight forearm shove.<\/p>\n

DILLON BROOKS MAD MAN
pic.twitter.com\/VF0D6s0DUy<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) January 5, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

After OKC found a way to tie it back up at eight seconds left, Devin Booker got the ball expecting an immediate double, and it was waiting for him if he dribbled within a few feet of the 3-point line. Booker, who has struggled immensely with his pull-up 3-point shot this season, drilled one for a game-winner<\/a> over that incoming help and by Alex Caruso, one of the NBA\u2019s best overall defenders.<\/p>\n

DEVIN BOOKER HITS THE TRIPLE AND WINS IT FOR THE SUNS \ud83d\udea8<\/p>\n

PHOENIX COMPLETES THE 18-PT COMEBACK TO DEFEAT THE THUNDER! pic.twitter.com\/JNPazjMXTz<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 NBA (@NBA) January 5, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cI assume they liked the matchup that they had on him. We liked who had the basketball and the space we were able to have,\u201d Ott said.<\/p>\n

The Thunder will look back on some of the miss-and-make variety in this one and be OK with the odds of that happening most nights. With that said, they tried everything and at times their desperation was evident.<\/p>\n

Head coach Mark Daigneault deployed a handful of possessions in the middle of clutch time without Chet Holmgren, Gilgeous-Alexander looked rushed on a few of his clutch shot attempts and the Thunder as a whole had just 20 assists even though they shot a more-than-OK 48% from the field.<\/p>\n

To flip the field goal percentage nugget from earlier, OKC since the start of last season was 61-4 when shooting at least 48% prior to Sunday, according to Stathead<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Goodwin (8-for-13 from 3) and Ryan Dunn (3-for-7) took nearly half the Suns\u2019 3-pointers (43). That says a lot about how much Phoenix, and Booker in particular, believe in each other. Goodwin shot 30.8% at 3-point range in December and Dunn was 5-for-22 (22.7%).<\/p>\n

Booker kept making the right play regardless, as is his standard we know very well by now. And he\u2019s doing so while his team is without Grayson Allen (right knee injury management) and Jalen Green (right hamstring strain), affecting the geometry of the floor for a severely shorthanded offense.<\/p>\n

\u201cSome games, I be like, \u2018Man, if Grayson or Jalen was right there this defense wouldn\u2019t be happening,’\u201d Booker admitted. \u201cBut still all the way down the line there\u2019s still some people that don\u2019t get in the game that can knock down those shots that I trust.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ott hasn\u2019t seen many like him in that regard.<\/p>\n

\u201cBook ends with nine assists but a lot of the corner 3s that Goody got were because our superstar passes the basketball. \u2026 Just the unselfishness of the group starts with your best player,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Booker has been that guy for nearly a decade now, ever since the primary responsibilities of a NBA offense were thrusted onto his shoulders in his second NBA season when he wasn\u2019t even able to legally purchase an alcoholic beverage yet.<\/p>\n

He joked (but not really joked) it\u2019s not always like this. It just comes down to the work he sees his teammates putting in.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t trust everybody like that! In high school I had a lot of teammates where I had to look off and shoot over two or three people but this group specifically, you watch these guys put the work in, we\u2019ve matched up together in training camp \u2014 their confidence is high,\u201d Booker said. \u201cThe games that teams are throwing the junk defenses, they\u2019re like, \u2018I\u2019m ready.’\u201d<\/p>\n

Booker said Goodwin is one of those guys who will tell him that, even after misses.<\/p>\n

Goodwin credited that trust from Booker and also a text from Ott the night before, one that made him laugh while recalling it and is in a series of \u201cout of the blue\u201d messages players get from their coach regularly that provide encouragement.<\/p>\n

Booker had nine assists and just one turnover with 24 points while Brooks added 22.<\/p>\n

Gilgeous-Alexander scored 25 points on 22 shots. It was the second-lowest point total for him this season when reaching 20 field goal attempts, and just the second of those 19 games with 20-plus FGAs in which he failed to crack at least 29 points. It was another night of the Suns defense successfully disrupting a MVP candidate\u2019s rhythm.<\/p>\n

Isaiah Hartenstein (right soleus strain) has now missed 12 of OKC\u2019s last 17 games, an important change to its dynamic considering he is the only true big and only player that really affects the offensive glass.<\/p>\n

Over the 16 games coming into Sunday, the Thunder were still easily the top defense statistically and a top-5 offense, so it\u2019s not like a team-altering difference in terms of production. But when it comes to style of play, Oklahoma City deploys Holmgren as a stretch-five and then utilizes small-ball, along with two-way signing Brendan Carlson who is also a floor spacer while Jaylin Williams (right heel bursitis) is also out.<\/p>\n

This is a challenge specifically for Suns center Mark Williams, the type of matchup where he has to dominate the glass to make up for the predicaments the spacing puts him in as a defender. He had played poorly in each of the two matchups coming into Sunday, both of which Hartenstein was absent for.<\/p>\n

Ott emphasized pregame it\u2019s on the Suns to put Williams in spots to succeed, and while they tried some different stuff on both ends, it still didn\u2019t work. Williams was picked on routinely and the Suns struggled to consistently execute the scheme designed to counter that, including at the start of the fourth quarter when Williams gave up a blow-by dunk and a pick-and-pop 3 on the first two possessions.<\/p>\n

At that point with Williams then -10 and Oso Ighodaro +10, Ott and his staff audibled with Royce O\u2019Neale subbing in for Williams to play some rare small-ball while Ighodaro got his last rest of the night.<\/p>\n

Ighodaro finished the game and was great once more in this matchup. His recent strong level of play has been a gigantic lift.<\/p>\n

Monday marks the beginning of Green\u2019s 2-3 week timeline for his re-evaluation period. Ott said pregame that Green is close to playing outside of workout situations and against live bodies, so that\u2019s an encouraging sign that he\u2019s nearing the end of his recovery that also indicates he might be a few games out still. Green warmed up pregame, another positive indicator.<\/p>\n

Allen did not play again but was in a 5-on-5 practice setting earlier in the week and Ott said he responded well to that. The coach said he\u2019s hopeful Allen could play on Monday in Houston.<\/p>\n

The Suns will come into Monday just two games back of the three-seed in the Western Conference. An oddity with their travel had their flight canceled Sunday night and that will force them to fly out the day of instead.<\/p>\n

Follow @KellanOlson<\/a><\/p>\n

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