Alan Williams Puts Up Double-Double vs Thunder
On a night honoring their legendary broadcaster Al McCoy, the Phoenix Suns edged out a 118-111 win over the Thunder.
“It’s a great night for Al,” Head Coach Earl Watson said. “Our group, we really care about each other. They care about the jersey. They care about the program. Couldn’t be a better night with a bigger win.”
Highlights: Suns vs Thunder
The Suns played true team basketball on Friday night as they finished with 28 assists and had six players score in double-digits.
This was the second straight game with six players scoring at least 14 points. The last time the Suns had accomplished this in back-to-back games was in 1971, the final season before Al McCoy began his legacy.
This was also the second game in a row where the bench scored over 50 points. This included Alan Williams putting up 14 points and 13 rebounds. He has his sixth double-double of the season and his third in the last four games. It also extended his double-digit scoring streak to five consecutive games.
After growing up in the Valley listening to McCoy, it was a special night for Williams.
“It’s not often that you can write a script like this,” Williams said. “Getting a chance to get to know him these past couple years has been truly special to me because you get to see the guy behind the voice. It’s a privilege and an honor to be able to play the game that he’s getting inducted.”
Tyler Ulis was once again a force off the bench notching a career-high 14 points to go along with his seven assists and four rebounds.
“Our bench has been playing phenomenal these past couple games,” Eric Bledsoe said. “Tyler, he’s the anchor. He’s the point guard off the bench. We were down, they came in and changed the whole game around for us.”
As one of the veterans in the second unit, Leandro Barbosa made some franchise history on Friday. It was his 544th appearance in a Suns jersey, passing Mark West for 9th all-time in games played. His 14 points also pushed him passed Connie Hawkins to be 14th in all-time scoring.
The Suns will continue their longest home stand of the season as the Boston Celtics come to town on Sunday. Catch the action on FOX Sports Arizona.