Jordan Ott reveals how Colin Gillespie embraced ‘big moments’ after scoring Suns’ winner

ByNBAUSA


PHOENIX – Colin Gillespie secured a comeback victory for the Phoenix Suns with 114-113 over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday with a beautiful game-winning drive. Although it was a game to forget for the team itself, Gillespie showed how valuable he is to the Suns.

His playmaking, improved shooting and growing confidence transformed him from just another G-League player to one of the best backup guards.

And since head coach Jordan Ott took the job in Phoenix, he’s been dead set on maximizing Gillespie’s talent.

That Friday night came full circle. With Devin Booker and Dillon Brooks fouled out, Gillespie took the bull by the horns and hit the most important shot of the night.

As the media made their way to the press conference room, his teammates cheered him on, mostly with expletives.

Still, the game-winning shot warranted a celebration, and Ott joked that what he said after the game was not PG, and that he would leave what was said there.

Some of that may have come from Dillon Brooks, who nicknamed Gillespie “Villain Junior” during training camp. Two months later, the same sentiment holds true, except he believes it does everything comes from summer.

“Other than the nickname thing, I think it’s just the competitive spirit between our group,” Gillespie said after the game. “In the summer we compete against each other, we want to win every game we’ve had and I think that’s what we’re doing.

“I think that’s a lot of our guys, they’re just super competitive. Winners want to play winning basketball and they’ll do anything to win basketball games. You saw a little bit of that at the end of the game, just don’t quit, keep fighting until time runs out.”

Jordan Ott knows all about Colin Gillespie’s success with the Suns

Phoenix Suns guard Colin Gillespie (12) dribbles against the Sacramento Kings during the fourth quarter at Golden 1 Center.
John Hefti-Imagn Images

One of the first players Ott had his eye on was Gillespie, but that was long before his time in the organization. He caught a glimpse during the 2024-25 season, where the former Villanova point guard orchestrated an offense with Booker, Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal. Granted, he was on the second unit, but at times former head coach Mike Budenholzer started Gillespie.

Despite missing the entire NBA season and suffering an ankle injury early last season, Gillespie continued to workand work, and work, and work some more.

However, he left his remarks on Gillespie’s media trip and in the Suns press conference room.

“It’s not the first time in his career. That’s what he does,” Ott explained. “He does the work behind the scenes when the lights aren’t on. He’s always ready. I think he’s playing more late-game scenarios now.”

“We feel really comfortable putting them out there in big moments. Yeah, he’s always ready, because he’s done the job. Tough guy, really smart, and he plays at a high level everywhere he goes.”

With career highs in nearly every statistical category, the progress is obvious, but it’s his role on the team that has garnered so much attention. Game by game, Gillespie’s confidence grows with the coaching staff and his teammates.

They knew that about Gillespie since the summer, and about some of his teammates, since he moved to the Suns. But now, he’s evolving into one of the leading players at his position, and turning into a niche player for this season, and possibly beyond if Phoenix decides to extend his contract.





2025-11-22 06:01:00

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