Tyus Jones shoots nearly 100% in the Phoenix Suns’ loss to the Detroit Pistons

On By Littum

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There were ups and downs too Phoenix Suns (14-13) and individually for Tyus Jones in Saturday’s 133-125 loss to Detroit Pistons.

The Suns’ struggling offense produced a season-high 34 points on 19 turnovers after giving up 29 points on 16 turnovers to Indiana on Friday. The Suns have lost two in a row.

Jones, the team’s starting point guard and assist leader, had his second-best shooting performance of the season, hitting the Suns’ most efficient night from the field, going 7-for-8 (3-of-3 from 3) for 19 points , three short of his season high. But he did make two assists on the season and had two turnovers.

Jones had to step up for the injured Devin Booker (left groin) to help carry the scoring load with Kevin Durant, who had a game-high 43 points, and Bradley Beal, who scored 26, against Detroit.

“I’m not chasing assists, I’m just trying to take what the defense gives me so it’s a season low tonight,” Jones said after the game. “Not proud of it, but at the same time, K (Kevin Durant) probably had a number of assists, Brad (Beal) probably had a number of assists. The shots were there for me tonight, and get back to the drawing board next game.”

Durant and Beal were tied for a team-high six assists.

Jones, who is shooting a team-best 54.3% from deep in December, said he continues to find the balance between his own scoring while facilitating the offense and helping the Suns’ Big 3 of Booker, Durant and Beal find their spots .

“It’s going to be something we work to balance throughout the year,” Jones said.

The Suns have had 13 different starting lineups since injuries, which Jones noted.

“Then again, different lineups,” he said. “It’s the first time we’ve played without a book all year, so we’re trying to navigate it and figure it out. It’s not an excuse, but it’s something we have to work through. We have to figure it out, so it was different for us tonight, but we just have to be better.”

Suns coach Mike Budenholzer was pleased with Jones’ aggression as a scorer. But he added that the team’s 125 points is “probably somewhere close to where you should win.”

He said the Suns need to improve their defense (ranked No. 24 in the NBA) and lower their turnovers. Durant committed the most of any player with eight, while Jones and Beal each had two.

Budenholzer said Jones’ role as a facilitator is important.

“We still need him to be an assist guy as well,” Budenholzer said. “So he’s got to do a little bit of everything. I probably don’t want to go too far like we don’t need him to get guys looks.

“But our offense, the turnovers stand out to me,” he added. “Tyus takes what the game gives him. He wants high assist nights. … The ball was probably more in Kevin’s hands tonight, just played more directly through him. That was, I think, more of just an anomaly than that Tyus -be-aggressive message.”

Beal talked about the impact of Booker being out for the first time this season in Saturday’s game after injuring his groin in the Indiana game. He has been ruled out for Monday’s game in Denver.

“Everybody has to be aggressive,” Beal said. “We were 30 points short out there, so we’re not making up for them from one (Booker’s jersey number).”

Beal added of Jones, “He knows he needs to be a little more aggressive and he wants to be. He does a good job of picking his spots. He doesn’t force anything.”

Jones had the Suns’ hottest hand statistically, hitting all seven of his attempts through the first three quarters of the Pistons game. But he didn’t shoot from outside in the fourth when the Suns were down by as many as 13. Durant, who put up 13 points in the final period, mostly had the ball down the stretch.

After Jones made his only two free throws to trim the lead to 112-101 with 8:44 left to play, he stripped Jalen Duren (17 points, 11 rebounds) near midcourt on the Pistons’ next possession and went for a breakaway layup. . But Cade Cunningham (team-high 28 points, game-high 13 assists) chased down Jones and partially blocked the shot.

Jones looked up at the backboard expecting a goalie call after Jones thought he knocked the ball off the board first. It would have made him a perfect 8-of-8 if he made the layup.

“I was,” Jones admitted, wanting a goalie call. “I didn’t know if he got it clean. I didn’t know if I hit the glass. I thought I got it on the backboard, but I know those plays are kind of bang-bang. … wish I could get it back (laughs).”