The Phoenix Suns saw their four game winning streak come to an end against the Cleveland Cavaliers on New Year's Eve, but it was a battling performance to (eventually) be proud of.
The team were out of sorts early on, falling down by as many as 20, before almost cutting the deficit entirely and then losing the game.
Kenny Atkinson claims Jordan Ott has Suns playing better than Cavaliers
Prior to the meeting between the two, Cavaliers' head coach Kenny Atkinson spoke to the media and was full of praise for his counterpart, and it is not hard to see why.
The Suns hired Ott away from Cleveland last summer, and he has been a revelation for the organization since taking over.
So good in fact, that Atkinson reckons what coach Ott is doing in Phoenix means that the Suns are even better than the Cavaliers at their own game, which has led to their success.
Kenny Atkinson shout outs Suns radio analyst Tim Kempton, who thanked him for Suns coach Jordan Ott.
— Duane Rankin (@DuaneRankin) December 31, 2025
Atkinson then joked how Cavs an Suns play the same, but added "they're doing it better than us, that's the problem."
Ott assistant under Atkinson last season in Cleveland.… pic.twitter.com/XbVPgUF9YI
We know now the game didn't quite shake out like that, but hearing Atkinson's comments beforehand it is not hard to understand why this happened. He fully expected the Suns to play hard and in a way he himself is familiar with.
He said as much after the game, claiming that the Suns were the hardest playing team in the league. He's probably the first coach all season not to underestimate this group, and wouldn't you know the Cavaliers won the game.
Coach Ott getting his flowers from his previous employer makes sense, but there's a lot more to it than that. They sit just outside the top 10 in defensive rating (113.6), and nobody would have seen that coming.
They also play with a tempo offensively that is made possible because of point guards like Collin Gillespie and Jordan Goodwin. Even Jamaree Bouyea has played his part.
You can't compare those guys talent wise to Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland, but where they are similar is that pace they play with. It starts with their ball handlers and leaks out from there.
Not that you'd know that from the numbers, with the Cavaliers having the seventh quickest pace in the league this seaon, and the Suns 21st.
But they are a swarming group defensively, anchored by the awesome Mark Williams, and play with a style that Atkinson is familiar with.
He's also had regular season success playing this way too, just like the Suns are currently enjoying. Coach Ott remains underrated outside of The Valley, but that won't be the case much longer.