by Alma Bean
Feature Image by Rick Scuteri of AP Photo
The Utah Jazz (1-1) looks to get over .500 early in the season against an injury ridden Phoenix Suns (1-1).
Desert Heat
Coming in off their first win of the season, Utah looked to struggle not to turn the ball over. Having seven in the first quarter with four of them being unforced. Utah trying to overcompensate with Phoenix missing both Bradley Beal and Devin Booker, they just threw the ball around rather than making methodical passes. Even with Utah’s passing struggles, Lauri Markkanen (19 points and 3 rebounds) was able to be the bright spot in their offense going 3/3 from the perimeter in the quarter. Kevin Durant (26/4/7) made sure that Phoenix was able to hold their ground as he scored 10 points in the first quarter getting them to a 37-27 lead to end the quarter.
In the second quarter, Phoenix continued to stay hot. Eric Gordon (21/2/4) was able to drain nearly every shot he took. Shooting 5/7 (71.4%) from the field, Gordon accounted for 12 of Phoenix’s 29 points in the quarter. Utah on the other hand struggled to keep up their shooting efficiency. Utah went from shooting 11/19 (57.9%) in the first quarter to 9/25 (36%) in the second. John Collins (11/10/3) did what he could to try and keep Utah in this tough road matchup with two opener corner three attempts, but 17 points off nine Utah turnovers helped propel Phoenix to a 66-50 lead.
Fighting Till the Final Buzzer
In the third quarter, both teams struggled to make perimeter shots. Phoenix shooting 3/10 (30%) and Utah shooting 2/10 (20%), but Phoenix managed to put that behind them by going to the free throw line. Phoenix went to the free throw line and shot 13/15 (86.7%) for the quarter creating a larger hole for Utah to dig out of. Kelly Olynyk (9/6/3) tried to put the team on his back shooting 3/3 (100%) from the field accounting for seven points. The former Jazzman Grayson Allen (17/4/3) showed that he should not be messed with shooting 5/6 (83.3%) while accounting for 14 of Phoenix’s points for the quarter. Allen’s play just foreshadowed Phoenix dominance in the third quarter scoring 40 points leading to a 106-78 lead going into the final quarter.
With Utah starting off the fourth quarter down by nearly 30 points, they decided to work with some new lineups. Simone Fontecchio (13 points and 3 rebounds), who had only two minutes of game time this season before tonight, was able to shoot 3/5 (60%) from the field in the fourth. Though Fontecchio’s 13 points was a breath of fresh air, the development of rookie Keyonte George (12/7/6) has Utah fans ready to start him. George setting career highs in assists, points and rebounds, his performance has Utah fans excited for his future with the team. Though there is a lot of negative and minimal positives, Utah left Phoenix with a 126-104 loss.
What’s Next
Utah will continue their short road trip taking on the NBA champion Denver Nuggets (3-0) on Monday.
The Hive Sports 
Leave a Reply