Rookie Tyler Ulis Hits 3-Pointer At Buzzer, Suns Beat Celtics 109-106

In the final seconds of Sunday’s game, short Phoenix Suns rookie Tyler Ulis capitalized on Isaiah Thomas’ turnover to sink a 3-pointer at the buzzer and lift his team to a 109-106 home victory over the Boston Celtics.

Suns’ Tyler Ulis Hits 3-Pointer At Buzzer In Win vs Celtics

Phoenix’s Eric Bledsoe tied it at 106 with a reverse layup with four seconds remaining.

The 5-foot-9 Thomas, the NBA’s No. 2 scorer, finished with 35 points but missed a free throw with 11.9 seconds left. He took an inbounds pass from Jae Crowder and the Suns’ Marquese Chriss knocked the ball away.

”He got a hand on it,” said Thomas, a former Sun. ”I thought Jae would get it out quicker than he would. I don’t know if he was looking to see if we had a timeout or I don’t know what he was thinking to do.”

Ulis took the ball and fired his shot as the buzzer sounded.

”I figured it would come down to me having to take a late shot,” he said. ”Not like that, you know, off the steal, but I just shot it with confidence.”

The 21-year-old point guard—a 2016 second-round draft pick out of Kentucky— had 20 points, a career best for the second straight game. Bledsoe added 28 to help Phoenix win three in a row for the first time this season.

Suns coach Earl Watson chest-bumped Ulis near the team’s bench after the 5-foot-10 youngster scored his game-winning 3. His teammates mobbed him.

“Tyler Ulis, no more questions, thank you for coming,” Watson jokingly said at the start of his post-game news conference.

The Celtics were missing usual starters Al Horford (right elbow sprain) and Avery Bradley (right hamstring strain).

Chriss, another Suns rookie, scored 10 points and recorded a career-high five blocked shots along with his one key steal. Alan Williams contributed 11 points and matched his career best with 15 rebounds.

Bledsoe ran for a layup to trim the lead to 105-104 with 13.7 seconds remaining, then Thomas made one of two free throws to put Boston ahead 106-104 and set up the final big shot.

”Obviously, you don’t want to turn it over at that time,” Boston coach Brad Stevens said, ”but those things happen and Ulis made a heck of a shot.”

Crowder scored 16 points, and Jaylen Brown and Terry Rozier added 14 points each for the Celtics.

Phoenix led 49-42 at halftime, and by as many as 15 in the third quarter.

The Celtics next visit the Los Angeles Clippers on Monday night.

The Suns next face the Washington Wizards on Tuesday in the fourth game of five straight at home.