PHOENIX SUNS

Suns come up big in Brandon Knight’s absence: By the Numbers

Mar 12, 2015, 5:06 AM | Updated: 5:12 am

Follow @AZSports...

After the Phoenix Suns’ 106-97 win over Minnesota Wednesday night, shooting guard Marcus Thornton commented on the game’s lighter feel — especially after two lowly losses in the 80-point range.

“When everybody touches the ball, that makes the game fun,” he said.

Yeah, 25 team assists will get everyone the ball.

For a team that averages 20.5 assists per game (one of the lowest averages in the league), that sure made a difference.

Six Suns player scored in double-digits in the win, helping Phoenix get back to its 100+ scoring average notoriety after hitting just 79 points and 80 points in its last two.

Thornton and fellow shooting guard Marcus Morris had to step up in the absence of newcomer Brandon Knight, who is out with a sprained ankle.

Morris combined with his brother, Markieff, for 14 of Phoenix’s first 25 points in the opening quarter, and finished with eight, while Thornton had himself a game — he hit seven immediate points off the bench in the second half and shot 50 percent from the field for 14 total points in 22 minutes, and had two steals.

Markieff Morris and Eric Bledsoe had 24 and 18 points, respectively as the Suns took an early lead and hardly let off the gas.

Phoenix opened with an 11-2 run, making four of its first six. T.J. Warren came off the bench and scored 10 points in six minutes to help push the lead at the half, 50-44.

The Suns got a bit of a scare as the second half opened, turning the ball over four times in seven possessions. After head coach Jeff Hornacek called a timeout, however, Phoenix re-calibrated a bit to hold a 12-point lead with nine minutes to play.

The win puts the team just 2.5 games behind New Orleans for the eight-seed and only 2.0 games behind Oklahoma City.

What did it look like, by the numbers?

9

Bledsoe’s nine assists are a tie for his fourth-most this season and led the Suns Wednesday night.

11

Between the first and third periods, Phoenix had a 3-pointer drought of 11 missed triples.

P.J. Tucker righted that ship with his only make of the night from behind the arc.

27

The Suns’ 27 second chance points may have been the game’s biggest deciding factor.

45/34

Phoenix couldn’t have won the second-chance battle without also dominating the glass. They out-rebounded the Wolves 45-34.

2

Without Knight, both Marcus Morris and P.J. Tucker started and essentially combined to run the two-spot.

They collectively scored 19 points with 15 rebounds and eight assists.

17

All things considered, T.J. Warren may have been the most productive Suns player per minute. He had a career-high 17 points in 19 minutes with five rebounds, a steal and a punctuating dunk with 3:20 to play.

1

Phoenix broke a two-game losing streak with the win and will stay at home to face the conference-leading Atlanta Hawks Friday at 7 p.m.

Comments

Comment guidelines: No name-calling, personal attacks, profanity, or insults. Please keep the conversation civil and help us moderate comments by reporting abuse.
comments powered by Disqus

Phoenix Suns

Jusuf Nurkic...

Damon Allred

Jusuf Nurkic questionable for Suns’ matchup with Thunder; Bradley Beal no longer listed

The Phoenix Suns are listing center Jusuf Nurkic questionable for a matchup with the Oklahoma City Thunder on Friday.

16 hours ago

Nikola Jokic #15 of the Denver Nuggets is guarded by Kevin Durant #35 of the Phoenix Suns during th...

Kellan Olson

Suns respond to season’s low point with thorough win over Nuggets

The guessing game of which Suns team shows up on which night persists. The best current version did on Wednesday in a win over the Nuggets.

1 day ago

Bradley Beal #3 of the Phoenix Suns looks on during the second half against the Boston Celtics at T...

David Veenstra

Bradley Beal in, Jusuf Nurkic out for Suns’ matchup with Nuggets

Phoenix Suns guard Bradley Beal is active for Wednesday's matchup with the Denver Nuggets while center Jusuf Nurkic is out.

2 days ago

Tyler Kolek, Marquette...

Damon Allred

Here’s who Phoenix Suns fans should watch in the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16

The Suns' first round pick in the 2024 NBA Draft sits at No. 19 overall, and they could select a star from the NCAA Tournament.

2 days ago

Phoenix Suns take on San Antonio Spurs...

Arizona Sports

O’Neale: Phoenix Suns took Spurs ‘too lightly’ in glaring loss

The Phoenix Suns' lack of effort was on display Monday night against the San Antonio Spurs, leading to an honest film session.

3 days ago

...

Arizona Sports Video

Video: Royce O’Neale: Suns took Spurs “a little too lightly”

Phoenix Suns forward Royce O'Neale joined Burns & Gambo to talk about the team's disappointing loss to the San Antonio Spurs on Monday night, and to look ahead at the team's remaining schedule, as they continue to make a push toward the NBA playoffs.

3 days ago

Suns come up big in Brandon Knight’s absence: By the Numbers