Rare Jordan Ott Mistake Cost Suns in Collapse vs Warriors

The Phoenix Suns need to learn from Thursday night's collapse.

Feb 5, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Phoenix Suns center Mark Williams (15) reacts against the Golden State Warriors in the first half at Mortgage Matchup Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

PHOENIX — The Phoenix Suns have relied heavily on starting center Mark Williams this season, and he's paid back that trust in dividends both in terms of his health and overall ability to patrol the paint.

Williams, while not a star player in the likes of Devin Booker, Jalen Green or even Dillon Brooks, has been a key part to first-year head coach Jordan Ott's puzzle this year — which made Williams' complete absence in the fourth quarter of last night's loss to the Golden State Warriors a bit head-scratching.

"We just thought a little bit on both ends, especially defensively, just our ability to be up and aggressive like it was at the at the start of the fourth, it really impacted them. End of the third into the fourth, we're gonna have to go through that, see if that was right decision," Ott said on the call to not play his starting center, instead opting for Oso Ighodaro minutes.

Ighodaro has improved massively from his rookie season, though Phoenix ultimately fumbled a 14-point lead with ten minutes remaining. The Suns were outrebounded 16-4 in the fourth quarter, and while Williams sat on the bench, Golden State dominated the glass and dictated physicality against a Phoenix team that's typically enforcing that themselves.

Ott has been incredibly solid for Phoenix this season in their efforts to swiftly change the narrative and expectations around the team, though not plugging Williams back into the lineup when his squad was obviously struggling needs to be a learning point.

“It’s tough. That’s what Coach (Ott) felt was best. We’ll probably go over it tomorrow in film, but I mean I felt good. I thought I’d get back in, but that’s how the game went," Williams said (h/t Hayden Cilley).

Mark Williams didn’t hold back when @DuaneRankin asked him about not playing in the fourth quarter.

He had 11 points and 10 rebounds through the first three quarters.

“It’s tough. That’s what Coach (Ott) felt was best. We’ll probably go over it tomorrow in film, but I mean I… pic.twitter.com/mrX4KNe4UZ

— Hayden Cilley (@HaydenCilley) February 6, 2026

It's an 82-game season, so there's bound to be mistakes and regrets along the way — especially for a first-time coach such as Ott.

"Another thing we talked about in-game: Feel the game, how it's being done. We didn't adjust fast enough I thought in the first half or around the second quarter. We felt their physicality pick up, but then we did. We picked it up," Ott continued.

"We just can't put them to the free throw line, especially when you're just trying to buy a bucket there in the fourth. Gonna take a look to see how many silly fouls we can cut out. We're going to be an aggressive, defensive team. So are they. The free throw differential really did hurt us down the stretch."

The defending Western Conference Coach of the Month harped on sending the Warriors to the free throw line when trying to drain precious clock in the fourth.

"Free throw line, 19-2 in the second half at the free throw line, that surely didn't help us. So again, in the fourth quarter, you're finding any way that you can score. You look down, you have six offensive rebounds, that's not who we've been," Ott continued post-game.

"Coincidentally, we talked about it this morning about just our offensive rebound rate has not been as good lately. So obviously that didn't help us tonight, where we just kind of find ways to get extra possessions.

"We lost a possession game to a team that crashes the glass, turns teams over, very similar to us. We weren't able to do it better than them."