PHOENIX (AP) — With All-Star Devin Booker out due to a strained left hip, Kevin Durant scored 31 points, Bradley Beal scored 30, and the Phoenix Suns defeated the Utah Jazz 129-115 on Thursday night.
The Suns won their third straight and 12th of 15 games without ever trailing. They also defeated the Jazz in all four games of their regular-season series.
The Suns, who shot almost 60% from the floor, had 37 assists to just 12 turnovers, and scored 30 fast-break baskets, put on an offensive clinic that had the Jazz reeling, especially in the first half.
The basketball is being shared by our entire squad, according to Suns coach Frank Vogel. As a team, we aim to become a team first. Although we have outstanding scorers and individual talent, I really like the way we play as a team.
With 22 points, Lauri Markkanen led Utah, followed by John Collins with 21 and Collin Sexton with 19.
Durant scored 19 points on 8 of 13 shots in the first quarter as Phoenix surged out to a 40-28 advantage. The Suns ended up with a halftime lead of 75–66.
Early in the third quarter, Utah had pulled within 81-78, but Phoenix responded with a 13-0 run, sparked by 3-pointers from Gordon and Beal, to take back the lead. By the end of the third quarter, the Suns had established a 109-90 advantage. They never looked back in the fourth, maintaining a double-digit lead the whole time.
“We just had some possessions where we took a few bad shots and a couple of turnovers and it allowed them to play against an unset defense,” Jazz coach Will Hardy said after cutting it to three points. It was yet another night when we never had a break since they were always lacking one. They did a fantastic job of utilizing those opportunities.
Jusuf Nurkic finished with 16 points and 8 rebounds, Gordon finished with 19 points on 7 of 8 shots, while Grayson Allen chipped in with 8 points and a career-high 14 assists.
Allen’s previous career high of eight assists was almost quadrupled. Despite being a skilled 3-point shooter, the sixth-year player was more of a ballhandler versus the Jazz when Booker was on the bench.
We kind of understand our duties when players are out because we’ve had guys in and out of the lineup the entire season,” Durant remarked. “In this league, there’s a next-man-up mentality.”
Royce O’Neale from Brooklyn and David Roddy from Memphis were added to the Suns’ bench during the trade deadline earlier on Thursday, but neither player was available. In addition, Utah added two players who were not available: Otto Porter Jr., Kira Lewis Jr., and Kevin Knox II.
