PHOENIX –The Phoenix Suns are clicking at the perfect time. The franchise is on its longest win streak since January 22nd and is in the final Play-In sport with less than a dozen games to go. The recent success is highlighted by Marquee names like superstar Kevin Durant and Devin Booker dropping 40-point games during this current win streak. However, the unsung hero for Phoenix is its youth. Two-way guard Collin Gillespie and rookie Ryan Dunn have shined in the past two-week stretch to earn a permanent spot in the rotation, while fellow rookie Oso Ighodaro is coming off his best performance of the year against the juggernaut Cavaliers.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!In the Suns’ upset win, Ighodaro dropped six points, four assists, and 13 rebounds in a team-high 44 minutes. The rookie’s motor is next to none and has caught the eye of head coach Mike Budenholzer.
Mar 21, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Phoenix Suns center Oso Ighodaro (4) attempts a dunk against Cleveland Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen (31) during the second half at Footprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images
Suns coach Budenholzer on Ighodaro’s performance vs. Cavs:
I asked Mike Budenholzer about Oso Ighodaro playing 44 minutes tonight and continuously switching defensively onto guards.
“He has this unique ability to where he doesn’t seem to get winded, or tired.”
Budenholzer also mentioned: “It takes a lot of sitting down in a stance,… pic.twitter.com/6iddX7oWK4
— Hayden Cilley (@HaydenCilley) March 22, 2025
Ighodaro was a team-high +15 in the Cavs game and is just the latest Suns young player to have a breakout performance in the past two weeks. Two-way guard Gillespie had his against the Los Angeles Clippers in the comeback win on national TV. Budenholzer has rewarded the 25-year-old guard a spot in the starting lineup in the past few games, which Phoenix is 3-0 in those games.
Mar 14, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant (35) and center Oso Ighodaro (4) play defense on Sacramento Kings forward Keegan Murray (13) during the first half at Footprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
Gillespie joined Dunn in the starting lineup, who has become an essential instrument for the rotation in recent weeks. Dunn has started in the past five games, where the team is 4-1. The Suns rookie is averaging 14.4 points, 5.6 rebounds, 1.8 steals, and 1.0 blocks in his last five starts and is leading a newfound defensive intensity for the roster.
The Suns have allowed 107.0 points per game since Dunn’s insertion into the starting lineup. The 22-year-old rookie has played five straight games of 20+ minutes when he hadn’t eclipsed that mark since January 22nd. The increased role for young players like Dunn, Gillespie, and Ighodaro has raised the ceiling for Phoenix to be a sneaky team to look out for in the Play-In and possibly the playoffs.
Can Suns make an impressive late-season push after win streak and stunner against Cavs?
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Reporter Tanner Tortorella covers general assignment for Burn City Sports. You can follow him on his X account, @TannerTSports
