PHOENIX — It had been nearly a calendar month since the Phoenix Suns won two games in a row before their 114-106 win over the Utah Jazz on Saturday evening. Suns star guard Devin Booker and his 34 points gave Phoenix a much-needed jolt on the first game of a back-to-back.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Kevin Durant also poured in 25 points (11-of-19 FG) of his own followed by Grayson Allen (14), Bradley Beal (12) and Ryan Dunn (10).
Here are the takeaways from the Suns taking care of business over a middling Jazz team:
– Royce O’Neale remains the only Sun on the injury report, out once again with a left ankle sprain that has kept him sidelined the last five games entering Saturday. The Jazz are depleted, missing Johnny Juzang (Right Hand Soreness), Brice Sensabaugh (Illness), Jordan Clarkson (Left Plantar Fasciitis), John Collins (Left Hip/injury Management), Keyonte George (Left Heel Inflammation) and Taylor Hendricks (Right Fibula Fracture).
– It was all Mason Plumlee to start the game, accounting for Phoenix’s first five points (2-2 FG) and four rebounds over Walker Kessler, one of the NBA’s best offensive rebounding centers. Plumlee’s fourth rebound led to a Devin Booker 3-pointer to put the Suns up 8-2 at 8:35 left in the first quarter.
The pass from Devin Booker (@DevinBook) to Mason Plumlee for the slam ????.#SunsUp #NBA #TakeNote pic.twitter.com/CLBgMQHypB
— Burn City Suns ☀️ (@BurnCitySuns) January 11, 2025
– Despite Plumlee’s aggressive start, Bradley Beal was first off Phoenix’s bench replacing the big man. The Suns went small early against Kessler to maintain the aggression before rookie center Oso Ighodaro subbed in at 4:38. The Jazz were able to cut the lead to 21-17 with 3:30 remaining.
– The Suns played an efficient offensive first quarter, shooting 13-of-20 (65%) from the field, but four momentum-killing turnovers and 10 points from Utah’s Cody Williams and Svi Mykhailuk off the bench allowed the Jazz to stay within four at 31-27 despite Devin Booker scoring 10 points himself on perfect 4-of-4 shooting.
– Devin Booker’s first missed shot, a 26-foot 3-pointer, came with 5:58 remaining in the second quarter. Before that, the All-Star guard was 7-of-7 from the field, 4-of-4 from deep and 4-of-4 from the free throw line for 22 points. His efforts gave the Suns a 54-38 lead with 4:28 left in the half.
Jan 11, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker (1) shoots against the Utah Jazz during the second half at Footprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images
– As Booker sat for the rest of the first half, boosts from a Bradley Beal-Kevin Durant-Ryan Dunn-Grayson Allen-Oso Ighodaro lineup got out and running and gave the Suns a 65-54 lead going into halftime. Booker finished with 22 points and was joined in the double-digit club by Kevin Durant (11) and Utah’s Lauri Markkanen (12) for the first half.
– The Jazz came out of the halftime break firing behind Collin Sexton and Isaiah Collier. They were able to cut the lead to 67-66 behind physical play forcing misses and quick scoring off those misses and turnovers. Sexton and Markkanen had 13 and 15 points respectively to that point in the game.
– Kevin Durant lightened the load for Booker through the beginning of the second half. Durant put up seven early points on 3-of-4 shooting to bring his total to 18 points along with Booker’s 25 with 3:42 remaining in the third quarter and the Suns up 83-74 on the Jazz.
– Phoenix only had two players notch double-digits points (Booker with 29 and Durant with 18) and Utah had four, led by Lauri Markkanen with 19 points on 6-of-16 shooting to end the third quarter down 87-79 to the Suns.
Jan 11, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Utah Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen (23) dribbles against Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant (35) during the first half at Footprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images
– Phoenix center Jusuf Nurkic has yet to play a second for the second-straight game. Through three quarters, Mason Plumlee was a +16 while on the floor. Oso Ighodaro was a -10 as the centers alternated minutes throughout the game.
– Suns sharpshooting wing Grayson Allen made his presence felt in the fourth quarter, draining three 3-pointers and joining Booker and Durant as the only Suns above 10 points with 14 on 4-of-9 shooting from beyond the arc to give the Suns a comfortable 100-88 lead with 5:46 remaining in the game.
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Reporter Connor Moreno covers the Phoenix Suns for Burn City Sports. You can follow him on his X account, @cmorenosports, and on Bluesky, @cloading.bsky.social
