Suns’ Jordan Ott shares how ‘authentic’ first Play-In game feels

PHOENIX– A successful 2025-26 Phoenix Suns season has landed them in the NBA Play-In tournament, squaring off against the Portland Trail Blazers. First-year head coach Jordan Ott has put the Suns on a different path in all the best ways.

While the end of the season was a tad concerning, the team’s identity has never wavered, even if it’s gone away for a while. Before Tuesday’s game, Ott shared that his message never changed.

“We’ve done it all year, we don’t have to do something special, we don’t have to come in and have an extra practice because we work every day,” Ott explained. “We don’t cancel shootarounds. The day in between games, we at least try to watch film, if not a walkthrough.

“Day of games, we come to shootaround. A lot of times, that is just to continue to add to our toolbox, but to say this game doesn’t feel different, I don’t think that’s being authentic. Everyone understands what this is, what these games mean across the league.

Jordan Ott told @Boomskie what his message was to the Suns ahead of tonight's Play-In game.

"We've done it all year. We don't have to do something special. We don't have to come in and have an extra practice because we work every day. We don't cancel shootarounds. The day in… pic.twitter.com/cGkj30anCi

— Hayden Cilley (@HaydenCilley) April 15, 2026

Moral victories aren’t a big thing for Phoenix, but considering what transpired last season, the franchise has a lot to be proud of. Devin Booker, Dillon Brooks, and Jalen Green have proven to be a lethal trio.

Combining that with the Suns ascending rookies and play style, it’s a perfect storm for success. On the flip side, Portland is much of the same and have had quite an exceptional season given the circumstances.

Either way, Phoenix will be in a promising spot if they can knock off the Blazers in the Valley of the Sun. Ott’s message is simple: do what has gotten them to this point.

The post Suns’ Jordan Ott shares how ‘authentic’ first Play-In game feels appeared first on ClutchPoints.