The Phoenix Suns pulled off one of the great last-second inbounds plays in NBA postseason history on Tuesday. Now Suns coach Monty Williams is showing some love to an unlikely source for helping make it happen.
After Phoenix’s miraculous Game 2 victory over the LA Clippers on a lob from Jae Crowder to Deandre Ayton with under a second left on the clock, Williams credited former Philadelphia 76ers coach Brett Brown for the play. Williams also shouted out ex-Suns assistant Joe Prunty, who ran a similar play to win a game in 2017.
“We run that more when it’s a typical [baseline out-of-bounds play],” said Williams, per Noah Levick of Yahoo! Sports. “It’s pretty much a combination of something that Brett Brown used to run, and Joe Prunty ran a play when he was here with the Suns — Tyson Chandler got a slap-in. But I wish I was that bright, because I’m not. Jae just made a great pass. That’s the deal. He put it where only D.A. could get it. That’s great awareness by him.”
Williams was an assistant under Brown in Philadelphia during the 2018-19 season, immediately before becoming the head coach of the Suns. As for the play that Prunty ran in 2017, there was a cool story behind that one as well.
