by Kimya Oliver
The Utah Jazz fell to the Phoenix Suns again by a final score of 105-97.
The Crossover: Utah Jazz by the Numbers
The Jazz opened the first quarter by winning the tip. Cutting to the basket, Mike Conley gave Royce O’Neale the perfect pass for the easy layup.
The Jazz couldn’t stop the Suns from getting easy looks inside the arc. Phoenix opened the first quarter on a 17-5 run.
O’Neale drove to the basket, made a spin move to create space from his defender, and made the layup to try and gain offensive momentum. O’Neale made the following free throw as he was fouled on the play.
The Jazz trailed 24-12 with four minutes to go in the quarter. Hassan Whiteside gave Conley a screen for the pick-and-roll for the layup and missed the following free throw. The Jazz trailed 39-18 after the first quarter.
Jordan Clarkson threw the lob up to Whiteside for the alley-oop slam dunk to open the second quarter.
Conley pulled up from deep to sink the long-distance shot. The Suns had their lead cut to 13 points.
The Jazz continued to feed off of that offensive momentum. Clarkson pulled up from beyond the arc in transition. The first half ended with the Jazz out-pacing the Suns 30-11 in the second quarter and cutting the lead to 50-48.
Whiteside gave Conley a screen and found him under the basket for the easy layup, but the Suns opened the third quarter on an 11-7 run.
Conley drove to the basket for the floater. The Suns led 72-62 with two minutes left in the third quarter. The third quarter ended with the Jazz trailing 74-64.
Traveling: Home cooking can’t cool off the red hot Suns
Conley brought the ball up and attacked the basket for the layup and the foul. Conley made the following free throw to open the fourth quarter.
The Jazz continued to attack the basket to cut the Suns lead to 84-80. With two minutes on the clock, the Suns led 94-92. The Suns continued to feed off of their offensive momentum for the rest of the game.
The Daily Double-Double
Clarkson finished with 26 points and Conley had 16 points. Whiteside finishes with a double-double with 16 points and 11 rebounds.
Bounce Pass: Up Next
The Jazz will be heading to Memphis to face the Grizzlies on January 28 at 6 p.m. MST.
Featured image courtesy Scott G Winterton, Deseret News