Utah Jazz End 2020 With Home Loss To Phoenix Suns
Dec 31, 2020, 9:31 PM | Updated: 9:46 pm
Donovan Mitchell #45 of the Utah Jazz reacts during the second half of the NBA game against the Phoenix Suns at Talking Stick Resort Arena on October 28, 2019 in Phoenix, Arizona. The Jazz defeated the Suns 96-95. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
(Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – The Utah Jazz struggled to find the bottom of the net and failed to come back against the Phoenix Suns on New Year’s Eve.
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The Jazz hosted the Suns at Vivint Arena on Thursday, December 31.
After owning a 22-21 lead at the end of the first quarter, Utah was outplayed for the majority of its final 36 minutes of 2020.
Phoenix dominated the second quarter and the Jazz were on the wrong end of multiple whistles by the referees.
The Jazz followed up the first quarter with an 18-point second quarter and trailed by 13 points at the half.
Utah closed the gap on a 21-point deficit to five points in the final minutes of the game but it was too late for a comeback.
The Suns came away with a 106-95 win.
The @UtahJazz fell to the @Suns 106-95 to end the 2020 year.
Relive how it happened here. #TakeNote https://t.co/dCvGurA9VQ
— KSL Sports (@kslsports) January 1, 2021
Utah finished the contest shooting 41.7 percent overall and 35.3 percent on three-pointers.
Donovan Mitchell led the Jazz with 23 points on 9-23 shooting. He added six rebounds and three assists in 36 minutes.
🕷 up the 🚰#TakeNote | @spidadmitchell pic.twitter.com/CDv1DzBwjQ
— utahjazz (@utahjazz) January 1, 2021
Utah’s Rudy Gobert, Mike Conley, Derrick Favors, and Jordan Clarkson each scored in double figures.
bounce pass ✔️
touch pass ✔️
JAM pic.twitter.com/vbwza5hpfX— utahjazz (@utahjazz) January 1, 2021
Bojan Bogdanovic, Utah’s second-leading scorer from a season ago, scored three points on 0-5 field goals, including 0-4 from beyond the arc.
Phoenix had six players score 10 or more points, led by Devin Booker’s game-high 25 points.
Booker (25 PTS & 7 AST) ended the year with a W 💪 pic.twitter.com/Fzcgz1GTMI
— NBA TV (@NBATV) January 1, 2021
Veteran guard Chris Paul added 11 points and eight assists.
CP3 threading the needle 🧵 pic.twitter.com/lY57ExoxT6
— NBA TV (@NBATV) January 1, 2021
As a team, the Suns shot 48.8 percent from the field and 51.5 percent from downtown.
Phoenix improved to 4-1 on the season with the result.
With the loss, the Jazz dropped to 2-2 on the season, including 0-2 at Vivint Arena.
adios, 2020 pic.twitter.com/uaDZHwk5LM
— utahjazz (@utahjazz) January 1, 2021
Utah opens 2021 against the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday, January 1. The Clippers and Jazz are scheduled to tip-off at Staples Center in Southern California at 7 p.m. (MDT).
