{"id":699147,"date":"2026-04-05T05:43:48","date_gmt":"2026-04-05T05:43:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/699147\/"},"modified":"2026-04-05T05:43:48","modified_gmt":"2026-04-05T05:43:48","slug":"finally-suns-long-wait-for-jordan-otts-first-technical-foul-is-over","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/699147\/","title":{"rendered":"Finally. Suns’ long wait for Jordan Ott’s first technical foul is over"},"content":{"rendered":"

CHICAGO \u2014 It took first-year Phoenix Suns head coach Jordan Ott 77 games to draw his first technical foul.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s about time.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve been waiting all season for him to get one,\u201d Suns forward Royce O\u2019Neale said after Saturday\u2019s practice at Chicago Hope Academy. \u201cI think it was right timing. Moments like those help us get a boost of energy. Just shows that he got our back in every situation.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Ott picked up his first career technical foul in the second half of Thursday\u2019s 127-107 road loss April 2 against the Charlotte Hornets.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was (surprised), but we need that, though,\u201d Suns guard Jalen Green said. \u201cThat fires us up at a team. We didn\u2019t get the same result we wanted, but overall, that got the guys going for sure.\u201d<\/p>\n

1 \/ 12<\/p>\n

Phoenix Suns take on Charlotte Hornets in road matchup<\/p>\n

Phoenix Suns guard Jalen Green (4) brings the ball up court against the Charlotte Hornets during the first quarter at Spectrum Center in Charlotte, on April 2, 2026.<\/p>\n

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1 \/ 12<\/p>\n

Phoenix Suns take on Charlotte Hornets in road matchup<\/p>\n

Phoenix Suns guard Jalen Green (4) brings the ball up court against the Charlotte Hornets during the first quarter at Spectrum Center in Charlotte, on April 2, 2026.<\/p>\n

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2 \/ 12<\/p>\n

Phoenix Suns take on Charlotte Hornets in road matchup<\/p>\n

Phoenix Suns forward Oso Ighodaro (11) passes the ball during the first quarter against the Charlotte Hornets at Spectrum Center in Charlotte, on April 2, 2026.<\/p>\n

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3 \/ 12<\/p>\n

Phoenix Suns take on Charlotte Hornets in road matchup<\/p>\n

Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker (1) handles the ball against Charlotte Hornets forward Brandon Miller (24) during the first quarter at Spectrum Center in Charlotte, on April 2, 2026.<\/p>\n

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4 \/ 12<\/p>\n

Phoenix Suns take on Charlotte Hornets in road matchup<\/p>\n

Phoenix Suns guard Collin Gillespie (12) brings the ball up court against Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball (1) during the first quarter at Spectrum Center in Charlotte, on April 2, 2026.<\/p>\n

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5 \/ 12<\/p>\n

Phoenix Suns take on Charlotte Hornets in road matchup<\/p>\n

Phoenix Suns guard Collin Gillespie (12) brings the ball up court against Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball (1) during the first quarter at Spectrum Center in Charlotte, on April 2, 2026.<\/p>\n

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6 \/ 12<\/p>\n

Phoenix Suns take on Charlotte Hornets in road matchup<\/p>\n

Phoenix Suns Head Coach Jordan Ott during the first quarter against the Charlotte Hornets at Spectrum Center in Charlotte, on April 2, 2026.<\/p>\n

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7 \/ 12<\/p>\n

Phoenix Suns take on Charlotte Hornets in road matchup<\/p>\n

Phoenix Suns guard Jalen Green (4) sets the play against the Charlotte Hornets during the first quarter at Spectrum Center in Charlotte, on April 2, 2026.<\/p>\n

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8 \/ 12<\/p>\n

Phoenix Suns take on Charlotte Hornets in road matchup<\/p>\n

Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker (1) handles the ball defended by Charlotte Hornets guard\/forward Kon Knueppel (7) during the first quarter at Spectrum Center in Charlotte, on April 2, 2026.<\/p>\n

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9 \/ 12<\/p>\n

Phoenix Suns take on Charlotte Hornets in road matchup<\/p>\n

Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker (1) brings the ball up court against the Charlotte Hornets during the first quarter at Spectrum Center in Charlotte, on April 2, 2026.<\/p>\n

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10 \/ 12<\/p>\n

Phoenix Suns take on Charlotte Hornets in road matchup<\/p>\n

Phoenix Suns guard Jalen Green (4) drives to the basket against Charlotte Hornets forward Moussa Diabat\u017d (14) during the first quarter at Spectrum Center in Charlotte, on April 2, 2026.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

11 \/ 12<\/p>\n

Phoenix Suns take on Charlotte Hornets in road matchup<\/p>\n

Phoenix Suns guard Jalen Green (4) brings the ball up court against the Charlotte Hornets during the first quarter at Spectrum Center in Charlotte, on April 2, 2026.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

12 \/ 12<\/p>\n

Phoenix Suns take on Charlotte Hornets in road matchup<\/p>\n

Phoenix Suns forward Oso Ighodaro (11) handles the ball against the Charlotte Hornets during the first quarter at Spectrum Center in Charlotte, on April 2, 2026.<\/p>\n

The Suns (42-35) conclude a four-game road trip Sunday, April 5, against the Chicago Bulls (29-48) at United Center as they look to end a two-game skid.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe can talk about defense, I think our defense slipped in Charlotte,\u201d Ott said. \u201cNight-to-night, it\u2019s a different thing. Offensively, we struggled in the fourth quarter at Orlando. The communication piece is the only way to speed this thing up. We know we\u2019re up against the clock a little bit as far as how many games are left with these guys.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Ott has spent this season trying to earn the respect of the referees, but he just couldn\u2019t let that offensive basket interference on Hornets big Moussa Diabate slide.<\/p>\n

The original call was defensive goaltending on Suns big Oso Ighodaro.<\/p>\n

Visibly upset, Ott used a coach\u2019s challenge and expressed his frustration, which led to referee Nick Buchert hitting him with the tech.<\/p>\n

\u201cYOU DON\u2019T KNOW WHAT THE (EXPLETIVE) YOU\u2019RE DOING,\u201d Ott screamed in the game.<\/p>\n

Ott won the challenge as the call was overturned to basket interference on Diabate, but having to burn a timeout for something he felt was obvious infuriated him.<\/p>\n

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\u201cI thought it was an easy call to make,\u201d Ott said. \u201cTheir players showed their cards what they thought it was, too. I thought it was an incorrect call.\u201d<\/p>\n

Green picked up his first tech of the season in the second quarter as part of a double technical foul with Hornets guard Josh Green with 8:34 left in the first half.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe gave me a cheap little jab,\u201d Green said.<\/p>\n

\"Phoenix<\/p>\n

Phoenix Suns Head Coach Jordan Ott during the second half against the Charlotte Hornets at Spectrum Center in Charlotte, on April 2, 2026.<\/p>\n

Then Ott drew his first career tech with 7:57 remaining in the third quarter.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou want to earn your respect in this league,\u201d Ott said. \u201cI understand my place as a first-year head coach. Every day, I\u2019m trying to earn it. I think we\u2019re a newer group. We\u2019ve got to earn it ourselves and I know it\u2019s a hard job (to officiate).\u201d<\/p>\n

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O’Neale thought Ott was going to draw that career first tech earlier this season.<\/p>\n

“It’s been a couple of games in the moment,” O’Neale said. “It just didn’t happen.”<\/p>\n

It has now.<\/p>\n

“He’s on top of the refs to make sure they control the game,” O’Neale added.<\/p>\n

\"Phoenix<\/p>\n

Phoenix Suns Head Coach Jordan Ott talks with his team at a timeout during the second quarter against the Charlotte Hornets at Spectrum Center in Charlotte, on April 2, 2026.<\/p>\n

The Suns are now looking for a much-needed win here to establish some momentum heading into the end of the regular season.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve had more and more conversations about what we want this thing to look like as we end this regular season and into the playoffs,\u201d Ott said. \u201cWhat can best help our group? It\u2019s not just the starters, it\u2019s, you start a group, you bring guys off the bench. It\u2019s who is playing, it\u2019s how we\u2019re playing is much more important than the five minutes to start the game.\u201d<\/p>\n

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The Suns are 3-8 in their past 11 games.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think everything is on the table,\u201d Ott continued. \u201cWe\u2019ve got to find what\u2019s best for our group. We kind of have our identity in how we play and how we win. Now, the next thing, as we get healthy, is who to play. The starting group is a part of that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Phoenix is seventh in the West, but it\u2019s still mathematically alive for the sixth seed.<\/p>\n

The Suns trail the Minnesota Timberwolves (46-31) by four games. They own the head-to-head tiebreaker over the T-Wolves, who have dropped their past two games.<\/p>\n

Have opinions about the current state of the\u00a0Suns? Reach Suns Insider Duane Rankin at\u00a0dmrankin@gannett.com<\/a>\u00a0or contact him at 480-810-5518. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter, at\u00a0@DuaneRankin<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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Support local journalism: Subscribe to\u00a0azcentral.com<\/a>\u00a0today.<\/p>\n

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Suns players happy first-year coach got first technical foul<\/a><\/p>\n