Cold Shooting Fourth Quarter Results In Jazz Loss To Suns
Dec 13, 2024, 11:12 PM | Updated: Dec 14, 2024, 2:40 pm
SALT LAKE CITY – The Utah Jazz fell to the Phoenix Suns 134-126 in a battle of two hot shooting teams.
Devin Booker scored 34 points to lead the Suns while Jordan Clarkson scored 23 off the bench to lead the Jazz.
The Jazz and Suns 44 combined three-point makes are tied for the most in NBA history.
Game Blog: Utah Jazz Fall To Phoenix Suns In A Shoot-Out
Hot Jazz Go Cold In Fourth Quarter
The Jazz had arguably their best shooting night of the year against Phoenix shooting 55 percent from the floor and 56 from the three-point line.
Both teams connected on 22 threes, setting new season highs for each roster.
“That was quite a shooting performance by both teams,” Jazz coach Will Hardy said. “Without a lot of points being given up in the paint, a lot of really high-level shot-making tonight from both groups.”
The Jazz had broken their previous season-high of 19 before the third quarter began, but their hot shooting abandoned them when it mattered most.
NBA teams were 78-5 all-time when knocking down at least 20 threes and shooting at least 56 percent from downtown.
Jazz loss tonight makes it 78-6.
— Ben Anderson (@BensHoops) December 14, 2024
Over the final 12 minutes of the game, the Suns held the Jazz to 1-7 from downtown, and just 21 points overall after scoring 39, 32, and 34 points over the first three quarters.
The Jazz have been at their best this season when shooting luck has been on their side, with three of their five wins coming when shooting 43 percent or better from three.
Despite their season-high 56 percent success rate on Friday, the Jazz came up short.
What Did Jazz Miss From Jordan Clarkson?
Jordan Clarkson returned to the Jazz lineup after missing eight of the last nine games with plantar fasciitis.
After the extended absence, the guard was happy to be back.
“Coming back at home, feeling the crowd’s energy and doing all that — it just felt good to get back in the rhythm,” Clarkson said.
The guard recorded 23 points, two rebounds, and four assists while shooting 8-13 from the floor and 4-6 from the three-point, but offered more to the team than his stat line.
🔥 The Flame is ablaze this holiday season 🔥
JC dropped 23 tonight in his first game back. Let’s watch that again ⤵️#PlayerHighlights presented by @zionsbank pic.twitter.com/XaC9R06fy2
— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) December 14, 2024
“Jordan’s ability to play versus the switch is something that he’s always been very good at, and it stands out when you don’t have it,” Hardy said.
While the Jazz can generate mismatches with set plays, Clarkson is a threat to create his own advantage when opposing teams choose to play switch defense.
“A lot of our other players right now, they’re good basketball players, but they play more of a reads-based game,” Hardy explained. “It’s not just — I get a match up, I go by my guy and I create the advantage one-on-one.”
By exploiting that mismatch, Clarkson draws a second defender, leaving one of his teammates open on offense.
“It’s something that maybe I take for granted at times, and then when he’s not there for seven games, you really feel it.”
What Did G League Offer Jazz Youngsters During Break?
The Jazz had a rare four days between Sunday’s loss to the Sacramento Kings and Friday’s game against the Suns.
While many of the Jazz’s veterans practiced during the hiatus, Isaiah Collier, Kyle Filipowski, and Brice Sensabaugh all spent time in the G League with the Salt Lake City Stars.
“It was an opportunity to get some guys some real minutes,” Hardy said of the roster moves.
Collier and Filipowski made two appearances each while Sensabaugh played one game on Tuesday.
In his G League debut, Collier put on a show scoring 36 points on 15-18 shooting including 5-6 from the three-point line.
Isaiah Collier was unstoppable in his @SLCStars debut! The @UtahJazz first-round draft pick scored a game-high 36 points on nearly perfect 83% shooting from the field. ⭐️ pic.twitter.com/pbqtrWIzSg
— NBA G League (@nbagleague) December 10, 2024
“When you’re playing like Isaiah has been, you’re playing 12-14 minutes, you’re shooting three shots a game, you’re shooting two free throws every other game, you can lose your swagger a little bit,” Hardy added. “And so it was an opportunity for him to go play.”
Related: Jazz Recall Isaiah Collier After Strong G League Debut
It also gave Filipowski two extra opportunities to see the floor as he recovered from a series of leg injuries that cost him seven games in the Jazz’s rotation.
“Flip’s coming back from injury and he’s getting in shape,” Hardy said. “Playing in those games is not a punishment, that’s not something we’re doing to them. We’re doing it for them. I’m a big believer in the G League.”
Utah Jazz Next Broadcast
The Jazz will travel to face the Los Angeles Clippers on Monday at 8:30 p.m. MST. The game will be televised on KJZZ, streamed on Jazz+, and heard on 97.5 The KSL Sports Zone.
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Ben Anderson is the Utah Jazz insider for KSL Sports and the co-host of Jake and Ben from 10-12p with Jake Scott on 97.5 The KSL Sports Zone. Find Ben on Twitter at @BensHoops, on Instagram @BensHoops, or on BlueSky.
