For the second straight game, the Suns hit the court with a new starting lineup. Josh Jackson replaced Devin Booker (injured) at shooting guard as Head Coach Jay Triano said he wanted a defensive lineup against the Timberwolves on Sunday.
“He’s one of our best playmakers for other people,” Triano said about missing Booker. “He’s one of our best scorers so it’s a big chunk offensively.”
The Suns went into the game without their leader in scoring and assists as the team needed an offensive outburst from someone else. Mike James rose to the occasion as he stepped off the bench and had himself one of the best games of his career.
“The coaches told me to be more aggressive tonight, look to score a little bit more,” James said. “I just tried to do that.”
The rookie scored a career-high 26 points to go along with his seven assists and five rebounds. Triano had one word to describe the way James played on Sunday.
“Attack,” Triano said. “It helps when we have shooters on the floor so there’s space for him to attack. He was aggressive going to the basket.”
Although the Suns fell to the Timberwolves 119-108, there were still positives in the way the Suns played without their star player.
“We shot 50 percent,” Triano said. “I thought our movement was pretty good. We shared the basketball. I’m not disappointed with how we played on the offensive end.”
The Suns will continue the road trip as they travel to Chicago to face the Bulls on Tuesday. Catch the action on Fox Sports Arizona.