Isaiah Canaan leads Suns to improbable win over Timberwolves

MINNEAPOLIS – When the Suns’ season ends and someone asks what was the most surprising victory of the year, remember this Saturday night.

A night in which Phoenix was on a five-game losing streak before playing the Minnesota Timberwolves.

A night in which Devin Booker was in street clothes.

A night in which the Suns committed 27 turnovers, just two short of their season high.

And finally, a night in which Phoenix used this lineup to start the second quarter: Isaiah Canaan, Troy Daniels, Danuel House, Dragan Bender and Alex Len.

So, yeah, it’s fair to say that Phoenix’s 108-106 win was several degrees north of improbable.

“No question but I think that’s what the NBA is about,” guard Troy Daniels said. “You have games like this.”

Like this? The Suns’ most important player was a guy who was relaxing with his family in Houston earlier in the week when his agent called and told him Phoenix wanted to sign him. Canaan got on a plane, made his way to Prescott Valley to play a game with the G League NAZ Suns and then joined Phoenix for its three-game road trip.

All Canaan did Saturday was finish with 15 points, five rebounds and seven assists in 26 minutes and make three game-winning free throws with 6.1 seconds left.

“This was probably the second-best game (of my career),” Canaan said.

Of course.

And just why did interim coach Jay Triano decide to use Canaan as the backup point guard instead of Mike James?

“I wanted to see what he could do,” Triano said. “He was in the playoffs last year (with Chicago) and he was good player so he can play.”

Canaan was part of a bench unit that was so productive T.J. Warren was the only Suns starter to play more than 22 minutes. The bench scored a season-high 69 points to go along with 28 rebounds and 15 assists.

Dragan Bender set career highs for points (17) and 3-point shots (5). Alex Len established a career high with 19 rebounds and had six assists and two steals. Daniels had 17 points and House eight.

“I kept saying, ‘Do we need to give them a rest? Do we need to give them a rest?’ ” Triano said. “I thought they were great on both ends. That was a great effort by all of them.”

The bench had to be great because the Suns nearly knocked themselves out of the game when they committed 19 turnovers in the first half alone. But they were only down by eight because Minnesota shot 36.5 percent from the field in the first two quarters and 18.8 percent from 3-point range.

“My only comments at halftime were, ‘If we take care of the ball we’re in the game,’ ” Triano said.

The Timberwolves stretched their lead to 13 midway through the third quarter but in the final 5:46 of the period, Canaan, Daniels, Len and Bender combined for 21 points and Minnesota’s lead was only four heading into the fourth.

Phoenix took its first lead on a Len tip-in with 7:51 left, extended the lead to five with 5:45 remaining but Minnesota rallied and a Jimmy Butler layup gave the Timberwolves a 106-105 lead with 66 seconds on the clock.

Enter Canaan.

After both teams had empty possessions he got the ball as the shot clock – and the game – was winding down. He pump-faked from beyond the 3-point line and got Minnesota point guard Jeff Teague in the air. Canaan leaned into him and the whistle blew about the same time the shot clock went off.

The officials reviewed the play and determined that Teague’s foul came before the buzzer.

“I was just thinking to get it off before the shot clock went off,” said Canaan, who was in the game at the point only because Ulis dislocated his middle finger when it got caught in Karl-Anthony Towns’ jersey with just under three minutes left. “Once I saw a little space I could get the pump fake off and I was surprised he bit for it because he’s an experienced guy.”

Canaan walked up to the free-throw line and calmly made all three shots to give Phoenix a two-point lead.

“Moments like that at the end of the game, having playoff experience definitely helps,” Canaan said. “Just to be able to calm down and know it’s like a regular free throw in a regular part of the game. So when I got fouled I knew I was going to step up to make them.”

Minnesota had one last chance but Len blocked a Butler layup attempt with 1.7 seconds left – “They would have been crazy if they called a foul,” Len said – and then Butler was short on a 16-foot jump shot at the buzzer.

So, basically, the Suns won a game thanks to a point guard who has been on the roster for three days.

See?

Way past improbable.

Ulis OK

Ulis had an ice bag covering his dislocated finger after the game but Triano said his starting point guard could have come back in the game if needed. Ulis said he would be fine to play Monday against Dallas.

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