Gillespie and Green hot shooting gifts Suns 66-48 over Raptors in first half

Mar 22, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Phoenix Suns guard Jalen Green (4) celebrates after making a three point shot against the Toronto Raptors in the first quarter at Mortgage Matchup Center. Mandatory Credit: Anna Carrington-Imagn Images

PHOENIX – During its five-game losing streak, the Phoenix Suns had struggling shooting the ball, with a 43.2% field goal percentage during the stretch. That wasn’t a problem in the first half vs. the Toronto Raptors on Sunday. Led by the prowess of Collin Gillespie and Jalen Green, Phoenix shot 55% from the field and 58% from beyond the arc. Gillespie and Green combined for 21 points and was five-of-five from the 3-point line. The hot shooting performance gave the Suns a 66-48 lead over the Raptors.

Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!

1st quarter:

Similar to Saturday’s start, Phoenix got out to a quick run to start the game, jumping to an 8-0 lead. With Booker’s recent struggles, the Suns needed the supporting cast to pull their weight. Jalen Green and Collin Gillespie answered the call scoring 14 of the team’s first 16 points, going four-of-four from beyond the arc.

Compared to the last matchup, head coach Jordan Ott covered Brandon Ingram differently by throwing two bodies at him in the post. The change had the two-time All-Star begin the game one-of-four from the field. The adjustment led to Rasheer Fleming to pick the pocket of Ingram from behind to lead to a fastbreak and-one to give Phoenix a 12-point lead early.

The Booker+Bench lineup continue the scorching shooting stretch. Booker was starting to find a rhythm, finishing the frame with eight points, which forced Toronto to trap the All-Star at every opportunity. The double led to wide open looks to Fleming and Jamaree Bouyea from 3. Phoenix finished the quarter shooting eight-of-12 from beyond the arc and a 34-20 lead.

2nd quarter:

Green returned to the floor for Booker and continued the team’s flamethrower night from the perimeter. The 24-year-old made a fadeaway three in the corner and ran down the court smiling with his tongue out, playing the most free all season. Phoenix jumped to an 18-point lead and was in store for an easy night.

However, Toronto flung itself to a 12-0 run, seemingly forcing turnovers on ever other possessions. Suns ballhandlers were struggling to overcome the length the Raptors possessed. Scottie Barnes began to wake up and took over the game in the second quarter, attacking the basket and finding the hot hand in Ja’Kobe Waler, who scored 11 points and was three-of-three from 3.

The tides shifted back to Phoenix after an and-one three-pointer by Jordan Goodwin to bring the air back inside Mortgage Matchup Center. The Suns became the aggressor, crashing the offensive glass leading to a thunderous putback slam by Ryan Dunn to push the lead back to double digits. The dunk felt so good, Dunn ran it back on the next possession, ripping the ball from Ingram’s hands for a fast break slam.

Dunn continued his dominant stretch with a catch and shoot corner three near the end of the half to push Phoenix back to a 16-point lead, entering the locker rooms up 64-48.

Suns remain heavily shorthanded vs. Raptors with full injury report (3/22)

Get the BEST Phoenix sports insider information, and exclusive content. SIGN UP HERE to unlock our premium content!*

Reporter Tanner Tortorella covers general assignment for Burn City Sports. You can follow him on his X account, @TannerTSports