Game Recap: Devin Booker powers Suns to a 114-106 victory over the Jazz

Booker leads the Suns to their second consecutive win with a 34-point performance.

The Phoenix Suns hosted the second game of their three-game homestand on Saturday, tipping off at 3:00 PM local time against the Utah Jazz. This marked the fourth game since Mike Budenholzer made the decision to move Bradley Beal and Jusuf Nurkic to the second unit, with Nurkic sitting out his second straight game. The Suns have now gone 3-1 in those games, securing a 114-106 victory.

Devin Booker, who had a rough night from deep on Thursday (0-of-8), bounced back in a big way, hitting 6-of-12 from three and finishing 12-of-20 overall for a stellar 34-point performance. Kevin Durant chipped in with 25 points, while Bradley Beal contributed 12 points in 31 minutes off the bench.

Defensively, the Suns stifled the Jazz, holding them to just 21.4% shooting from beyond the arc, the second-lowest three-point shooting percentage by an opponent this season (San Antonio was worse at 18.2% on December 3). The win moves the Suns to 18-19 on the season, bringing them within a game of .500. It’s the first time they’ve won back-to-back games since beating the Jazz and Trailblazers in mid-December.

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Game Flow

First Half

If you had Mason Plumlee dropping the first 5 points and snatching 5 boards against Walker Kessler on your Suns bingo card, congratulations, you’re a psychic or a liar. Either way, BINGO! Nobody expected the Duke alum to come out swinging like that against a team that practically eats rebounds for breakfast. Yet there he was, grinding and hustling like the hardwood owed him money.

And then, like clockwork, Devin Booker did Devin Booker things. He dropped the next 7 points faster than you could say, “12-2 Suns lead.”

With 6:35 left in the first, Bradley Beal entered the game.

Phoenix came out firing, showcasing crisp ball movement and sharp three-point shooting, but a few careless live-ball turnovers gave the Jazz easy layups and let them chip away at the early lead. What started as a commanding 11-point advantage for the Suns quickly vanished as Utah found its rhythm. Initially contested three-point attempts gave way to wide-open looks, and the Jazz started knocking them down.

Fueled by their bench, Utah went on a 10-0 run, outscoring the Phoenix reserves 16-7 in the first quarter. Devin Booker led all scorers with 10 points, but despite the Suns shooting an impressive 65% from the field and 50% from beyond the arc, they couldn’t shake off their mistakes. Those 4 turnovers loomed large, leaving Phoenix clinging to a slim 31-27 lead after one.

With 10:20 left in the second quarter, Coach Bud threw down the gauntlet, challenging a foul call on Josh Okogie after he met former Sun Drew Eubanks at the summit on a dunk attempt and rejected him. The challenge was successful, but it left me scratching my head.

Up 34-31, why risk burning your challenge on a relatively inconsequential play? It wasn’t exactly clear-cut or game-altering, so what was the angle here? Maybe I’m missing something. Take a look and let me know your take.

Josh Okogie wasted no time making his presence felt, swatting Eubanks, pestering the Jazz on defense, and keeping rebound opportunities alive with his relentless hustle. Classic JO chaos.

Meanwhile, Devin Booker put on a scoring clinic in the second quarter. Whether it was draining threes, slicing to the rim, earning trips to the line, or cashing in midrange jumpers, Booker was unstoppable. His first-half efficiency was off the charts: 22 points on 7-of-8 shooting, including a scorching 4-of-5 from beyond the arc.

And then there was Grayson Allen, delivering an “up and under” move so smooth it had shades of MJ and Kobe. A highlight reel moment, no doubt.

Phoenix went on a scorching 9-0 run, stretching their lead to 16 with just over four minutes left in the half. But the Jazz weren’t going down quietly. Lauri Markkanen led the charge with 12 first-half points, Walker Kessler chipped in 8 points and 6 boards, and Collin Sexton found his rhythm in the second quarter, scoring all 9 of his points during that stretch.

Utah held their own on the glass, outrebounding the Suns 23-21, with both teams capitalizing on second-chance opportunities for 9 points apiece. The difference? Three-point shooting. While the Suns hit a respectable 6-of-16 (37.5%) from beyond the arc, the Jazz’s icy 5-of-23 shooting from deep proved to be their Achilles’ heel.

There was this nice flush by Sixth Man Brad over Walker Kessler as well. Nice ‘lil highlight.

Beal had 9 points during his 15 first-half minutes, posting a -2 in the plus/minus department. Kevin Durant was 5-of-9 for 11 points, adding 6 assists in the half as the Suns took a 65-54 lead into the locker room.

Second Half

Jazz head coach Will Hardy didn’t hesitate to burn his challenge early in the third quarter. The play in question? Collin Sexton closing out on Devin Booker’s three-point attempt, earning a whistle for illegal contact on Booker’s release. Sexton was visibly adamant, practically demanding the review, and he got it. Upon closer inspection, the contact was minimal, a hand-to-hand graze. The verdict? Challenge successful.

Interestingly, both coaches had rolled the dice on challenges at this point, and both had come up winners. Utah capitalized on the momentum, winning the ensuing jump ball and catching fire. The Jazz erupted for an 11-0 run, outscoring the Suns 12-2 to start the half and flipping the script in their favor.

Mason Plumlee, who opened the game with the Suns’ first five points, added his 6th with a free throw at the 4:56 mark in the third, nudging Phoenix ahead 78-70. Just a fun little stat for the Plumlee enthusiasts out there.

Devin Booker remained the offensive anchor, steadying the Suns with his scoring and helping ignite a 9-0 run to push the lead back to nine. His ability to score and facilitate with sharp interior passing fueled the team’s surge. And let’s not forget Oso Ighodaro. His emphatic dunk was a highlight of the quarter.

Booker led the charge with 7 points in the frame, shooting 3-of-7, while Kevin Durant chipped in another 7 and Ryan Dunn added 5. Though Phoenix managed just 22 points in the quarter, they held an 87-79 advantage heading into the fourth.

Phoenix started the fourth quarter ice-cold, hitting just 2-of-7 from the field and allowing the Jazz to close the gap to within three points once again. But nine points by Grayson Allen, all coming by way of the three-ball, were big buckets for Phoenix to extend the lead to 12.

Allen ended with

Will Hardy decided to roll the dice on his second challenge, convinced Walker Kessler’s swat on Bradley Beal had ricocheted out off Phoenix. But plot twist! Tony Brothers, in all his whistle-blowing wisdom, flipped the script and ruled Kessler guilty of fouling Beal instead. Hardy’s gamble? Busted.

The Suns had no issue closing the Jazz out from that point moving forward. Phoenix outscored Utah in the fourth quarter,

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Up Next

We’re right back here tomorrow night as the Suns play the Charlotte Hornets, the same Hornets they had to play on the second night of a back-to-back just four days ago. Will legs be an issue once again? Will the Suns be able to hit more the 30% of their three-pointers? Tune in to find out.