Phoenix Suns center Alex Len unlikely to return to action

DALLAS – Brandon Knight now has a weightlifting buddy at US Airways Center until the Suns return for their season finale Tuesday.

Like Knight, Suns center Alex Len is now unlikely to play again this season due to injury. The Suns originally planned for Len to join the Suns on Thursday in New Orleans and possibly play against the Pelicans on Friday after being fitted for a mask.

Everything went well with Len's surgery and recovery but the Suns decided that he would stay home and still use the mask for basketball-related activity over the next six weeks.

Brandan Wright made his sixth start at center. He averaged 14.4 points, 8.0 rebounds, 3.0 blocks and 1.2 steals in his first five Suns starts.

"He's a professional guy that comes out there to play every night," Suns coach Jeff Hornacek said of Wright. "He's going to be consistent. You know what you're getting from him. He plays within his game. He's done a great job for us."

Thomas: Suns 'panicked'

Former Suns point guard Isaiah Thomas criticized the Suns for quickly trading him to Boston but told Bleacher Report that he did not hold a grudge against the franchise.

"With Phoenix, it's just, I think they panicked a little bit," Thomas said before scoring a season-high 34 points in a Celtics win that preceded the Suns-Mavericks game on ESPN. "They thought it wasn't working as well as they wanted it to work with a three-guard lineup."

Thomas signed a four-year, $27 million contract with Phoenix in July was traded to Boston on Feb. 19 for Marcus Thornton, whose contract is expiring, and Cleveland's 2016 first-round draft pick. Thomas averaged 15.2 points in 55 Suns games as a sixth man.

Thomas quickly fit into Boston's scheme because the Celtics' system also spaces the floor and puts Thomas regularly in pick-and-rolls.

"The difference between here (Boston) and there, they need me to do it more," Thomas said. "They look for me to do it more and be aggressive. They count on me to go out and make a play."

Injuries hurt

The Suns avoided health issues and certainly have not dealt with as much as their eighth-place spot competitors, Oklahoma City and New Orleans.

But the loss of two starters did steepen the late-season fall. From Markieff Morris' "Our pieces aren't right right now" to EricBledsoe's "Trades just happen" to Archie Goodwin's listing of roster issues, the Suns have made several personnel comments publicly and privately over how the team has struggled since trading Thomas and Goran Dragic.

"I guess they're looking for answers," Hornacek said. "Some of these guys have had to play bigger minutes. It (recent losses) really is caused these last couple games by our injuries. The lineup has changed. We've gone big with Tuck at the two. It puts a little extra work on them and probably a little extra pressure.

"When two guys are gone in Goran and Isaiah, you've got to replace that and Brandon was going to be a big replacement for that. Then you shift other guys around when he's not there and now other guys are more important."

Free throws

The Suns have lost three games this season by 27 points. In the past 27 seasons, that has only happened three times in the same season once. The 2012-13 team lost six games by 27 points or more.

Suns D-League affiliate Bakersfield won its playoff opener against Austin 117-79. The best-of-three series continues Saturday and Sunday (if necessary) at Austin.

P.J.Tucker, 6 feet 6 and 260 pounds, on defending big men: "Guys don't like the undersized guys that are strong because it's a little harder to back down and I start fighting and mixing up the coverages, it's a little tougher. So, Coach always likes to do that, especially when we play teams like that with good bigs."