PHOENIX – Many NBA analysts thought the loss of Channing Frye, who was averaging career-highs in points, rebounds, blocks, and three-pointers made per game, would be too much for the Suns to overcome in their desperate ascension to make it back into the playoff picture.

Those “analysts” were obviously overlooking Frye’s backup, 6-foot-9 forward Hakim Warrick.

“(I was) just trying to be aggressive knowing that Channing (wouldn’t be) there,” Warrick said on Sports 620 KTAR’s Gambo and Ash Wednesday afternoon. “He’s a big part of our team. For us to continue to play the way we play, I felt that I had to have a big impact.”

Warrick, who signed a four-year, $18 million deal with the Suns this past offseason, stepped up in Frye’s place and exploded for a career-high 32 points Tuesday night against the Rockets on 14 of 19 shooting.

“I got a couple of layups that got me going and Steve (Nash) just kept feeding me,” Warrick said in a post-game interview. “I just had to knock it down. This game is mostly confidence so you see the ball go in the basket, you are going to continue to be aggressive and no matter what I’m going to be aggressive but once you some early buckets it really helps you out.”

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