The Phoenix Suns’ 108-105 win came at the cost of Mark Williams taking an elbow from Rudy Gobert during a dunk attempt. The referees quickly reviewed the play and didn’t take long to decide it warranted an ejection. The Frenchman was shown the door, leaving the Minnesota Timberwolves without their defensive anchor. The moment gave the Suns, especially Williams, a much-needed boost, letting him showcase the best of himself en route to the victory.

“If I want to be the best, I got to go up against the best every single night,” Williams said postgame of the scuffle. “That’s a whatever four-time Defensive Player of the Year. Just trying to go out there, dominate, show who I am. Just doing that tonight. Finding a way to win honestly is the biggest thing.”

“I’m not thinking he’s doing that,” Williams said when he was asked the same thing in the locker room. “I’m thinking he’s just going to contest the shot. I’m good.”

Mark Williams led the Suns with a strong performance, finishing with 22 points on 7 of 9 shooting, seven rebounds, three assists, and two steals, helping his team overcome Anthony Edwards’ 40-point night.

Today also marked a special milestone for the youngster. In the third quarter, he drained a three-pointer from near the corner. It was his first-ever NBA three!

“It felt good when it left my hands,” Williams said of the shot. “Dillon hit me in the corner. I was in rhythm.”

Mark Williams had gone 0 of 4 from beyond the arc in 125 games and had only attempted one three-pointer during his two years at Duke, making today’s moment even more memorable. His journey has been carefully managed due to a knee injury, with the Suns pacing his minutes.

The 23-year-old player, acquired in June from the Charlotte Hornets in exchange for Vasilije Micic, draft rights to Liam McNeely, and a 2029 first-round pick, is averaging 12.7 points on 65.1% shooting from the field, 8.7 rebounds, and 1.4 steals. Williams has been a real bright spot for the Suns, especially on defense.

“It’s home, man,” he reflected about feeling comfortable on the court.

With him on the court, Phoenix is 5.5 points better per 100 possessions, underscoring just how much impact he brings. The team has been careful with his minutes, avoiding back-to-back games, but his presence when available has been huge.

If Mark Williams keeps up this pace and finishes the season with around 60 games at roughly 25 minutes per game, it could be the most productive season of his career. The start has been historic; he’s now one of only two Suns players to average 12+ points on 68% true shooting or better in their first 15 games of a season, joining the legendary Steve Nash (2007-08 season).

The Suns crushed the Timberwolves’ five-game winning streak after Rudy Gobert’s exit

The Timberwolves entered the game in high spirits and on a five-game winning streak, which ended with their loss to the Suns. Things got tense late when Rudy Gobert, who had 15 points and eight rebounds, was ejected, giving the visiting team a momentum boost. In the end, the Suns sank crucial free throws and made a final stop to seal the win.

Collin Gillespie added 19 points, and an almost-injured Dillon Brooks chipped in 18 points.

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The Suns started the fourth quarter with a 14-3 run that turned a tied game into a comfortable lead. This victory snapped their two-game losing streak, improved their record to 14-10, and gave them a 2-0 record against the Timberwolves this season.

For the home side, on the other hand, Anthony Edwards had 40 points on 15 of 21 shooting, and Julius Randle added 21 points and eight assists. But the rest of their top players struggled. Naz Reid went 2 of 12, while Jaden McDaniels and Donte DiVincenzo went 1 of 7.

They fought back late, as they’ve been doing in recent games, and had a chance to tie when McDaniels attempted a three-pointer with 3.7 seconds left.

But he missed, allowing the Suns to escape with the hard-fought win.