Sports
Suns’ Collin Gillespie Shines Despite Injury in Thunder Loss
PHOENIX — The Phoenix Suns are off to a strong start in the 2025-26 regular season, with Collin Gillespie emerging as a standout player despite recent injuries on the team. Recently, sports analyst Skip Bayless praised Gillespie’s performance on X, highlighting his near win against the Oklahoma City Thunder: “Suns Collin Gillespie nearly beat the Thunder in OKC – kid can PLAY – but SGA was again too much in the clutch. Thunder Cup runneth over.”
This season, Gillespie has become a vital part of the Suns, filling in for injured players like Jalen Green and Grayson Allen. In a recent game against the Thunder, he scored a season-high 24 points, leading all Suns scorers. In the two games he started this season, Gillespie has averaged over 20 points per game, shooting over 50% and providing 13 assists.
Gillespie’s success comes from not just his scoring ability but also his grit and determination. Under first-year head coach Jordan Ott, the Suns are focused on a strong team culture and style of play. Gillespie commented on the team’s tenacity, stating, “I will keep saying this, there is just no quit in this team, continue to fight till the last second. I think the competitive spirit that we have as a team has started in training camp, or even before that in the summertime.”
Gillespie’s clutch performances include a game-winning shot against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Unfortunately, he suffered a left ankle injury in the final seconds of the recent loss to the Thunder, which occurred while he was diving for a loose ball. Speaking with The Arizona Republic‘s Duane Rankin, Gillespie explained that a gap between the scorer’s table and the court caused the injury. After the game, he was seen icing his ankle but did not have it wrapped before leaving the arena.
The Suns will host the Denver Nuggets for the second game of a back-to-back tonight. The injury report for tonight has not been released, but Gillespie may be listed as questionable or out due to the proximity of the upcoming game.
