Suns head coach Jordan Ott heated towards refs following 92-77 loss to Blazers
· Yahoo Sports
GLENDALE – Sunday was a frustrating night for Phoenix Suns head coach Jordan Ott. Following an electrifying double OT win over the Orlando Magic, his team shots 37% from the field and scores a season low in points against the Portland Trail Blazers in 92-77 loss. However, the poor play wasn’t what had Ott angry post game, as the officials had the first-year head coach showing some rare emotions postgame.
The Suns were called for six illegal screens, which Ott believed to be a record, and believed the ref crew was calling the game compared to earlier in the season.
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Feb 22, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Phoenix Suns head coach Jordan Ott reacts against the Portland Trail Blazers in the first half at Mortgage Matchup Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
Ott on the officials questionable calls:
Portland was playing drop coverage, forcing Phoenix to shoot from beyond the arc. To generate good looks against that defense, Ott needed his players to set screens and attack at the point of contact with the defender to get his shooters wide open looks. Trail Blazers guards like Jrue Holiday and Scoot Henderson responded to the screens by absorbing the hit and falling to the ground, which was mostly rewarded with a call from the refs.
Feb 5, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Phoenix Suns head coach Jordan Ott reacts against the Golden State Warriors in the second half at Mortgage Matchup Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
One of the biggest examples was a moving screen called on Khaman Maluach in the fourth quarter that Ott challenged. After review, the challenge was deemed unsuccessful, which gave the Trail Blazers some momentum to balloon their lead back to 17 and cruise to a victory.
Ott doesn’t blame the officials for the loss, as his team did shoot under 40% for the second straight game. Regardless, a usual reserve Ott couldn’t hold his tongue when discussing how he viewed the officials did in Sunday’s game.
Suns flat shooting and Blazers’ Clingan monster night lead to 92-77 loss