Suns bench continues impressive play, pushes team to win in Dallas
Dec 18, 2017, 9:33 PM | Updated: 9:34 pm
Phoenix Suns guard Isaiah Canaan (2) reacts to a play during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Dallas Mavericks in Dallas, Monday, Dec. 18, 2017. The Suns won 97-91. (AP Photo/LM Otero)
(AP Photo/LM Otero)
In their 108-106 win Sunday night over the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Phoenix Suns got big-time contributions from its bench that put up 69 total points.
Fifteen of those came from Isaiah Canaan, who, in his debut for the team, went plus-19 with 15 points, five rebounds and seven assists.
The game in which Phoenix shot 45.8 percent from deep looked to be an aberration while Devin Booker recovered from his adductor injury. The Suns, and their bench, would regress to the mean and struggle to score enough to win with their star young player out.
Well, that thought will have to wait another game.
The Suns followed that surprising victory with a 97-91 win in Dallas Monday against the Mavericks.
The bench, once again, was the deciding factor.
They had 55 points, and 17 of those were from Canaan, who was a team-high plus-26 and added four rebounds, six assists and three steals.
Dallas (8-23), despite not playing that well themselves and shooting 36 percent from the field, looked to be pulling away in the third quarter after a back-and-forth first half. They rode 26 points from Harrison Barnes, who the Suns did not have an answer for all night.
Down by as many as 12 late in the third, Phoenix (11-21) went on a 20-8 run to tie the game in the fourth, capped by a Canaan 3-pointer.
“A hot hand right here can get it done.” — @Jumpshot8
Isaiah Canaan is at it again in the 4th quarter. Catch the finish in FSAZ or FOX Sports GO: https://t.co/qSXzAH39lq. pic.twitter.com/U4YlKcRvlh— FOX Sports Arizona (@FOXSPORTSAZ) December 19, 2017
Having not played in the first half and with Troy Daniels picking up his fifth foul, Mike James checked in to play alongside Canaan and hit two big 3-pointers in the fourth quarter for his own mini 6-0 run to make it 89-81.
After five straight for Dallas, Canaan and Len combined for the play of the game to make it a five-point Phoenix lead.
More impressive, the Canaan dribbling exhibition to get into the lane to the Len two-handed dunk in traffic?
What do you think, @Suns? pic.twitter.com/TfAmaWFjWe— FOX Sports Arizona (@FOXSPORTSAZ) December 19, 2017
Len had another great game as he continues to play the best basketball of his career.
After his 12 points, 19 rebounds, six assists, two steals and a block in Minnesota, Len posted 14 points, 14 rebounds, four assists and one block in Dallas.
With a five-point lead and under 40 seconds to go, the Suns nearly threw the game away in what was the craziest sequence of the season that ended with Phoenix up two with 12 seconds remaining.
Suns vs. Mavericks is pure, uncut euphoria pic.twitter.com/6yZR3llT90
— Grim Wobber (@World_Wide_Wob) December 19, 2017
Somehow, T.J. Warren wound up with the ball after that mess, and while he hit only one of two free throws, the Suns’ defense would close it out for the team’s second win in a row.
