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SALT LAKE CITY — There were certain Phoenix possessions that would make you think Wednesday’s game was a no-contest. Passes were thrown to no one, balls were dribbled off feet and ill-advised step-backs were attempted.
Then you’d take a peek at the score. And, well, it was still pretty close. At least for most of the game.
For three quarters, the Jazz weren’t very good on Wednesday. The Suns, though, were worse. And that allowed Utah to have one good quarter and earn a 116-88 victory over Phoenix at Vivint Arena.
Donovan Mitchell led the Jazz with 21 points on 8-of-21 shooting and Joe Ingles added 15 points and 11 assists.
It was Ingles who was the one that really put the Suns away for good. Phoenix had cut the Utah lead to just four points in the final minute of the third quarter, but Ingles answered with a driving layup and then an assist to Derrick Favors.
That started a 29-9 run for the Jazz as they finally turned the game into the blowout that many expected it to be.
“Fourth quarter, we just ran out of gas, didn’t find the energy to keep competing,” Suns coach Igor Kokoskov said. “It was a close game at the beginning of the fourth quarter and they just took off.”
The Suns entered the game having lost 11 in a row and were without leading-scorer Devin Booker due to injury. Yet, for three quarters, they hung with the Jazz.
Utah built multiple leads in the first half, even taking a 17-point lead at one point, but Phoenix came up with early responses.
Josh Jackson had 27 points, seven assists and five steals. Deandre Ayton finished with 20 points and nine rebounds for the Suns.
“It’s a 48-minute game,” Phoenix’s Kelly Oubre Jr. said. “It’s not a three-quarters game. It’s not a one-half game. It’s a 48-minute game. You gotta stick with it for 48.”
So what changed in the fourth for the Jazz?
“We got some stops,” Ingles said. “Obviously, they’re a good, young team. … We just needed to tighten up some things, which we weren’t really doing the first three quarters.”
Utah’s early struggles included turnovers — especially in the first half — and lazy defense. And those bad Suns’ possessions that made it seem like Utah should have had a commanding lead for much of the night? The Jazz had some of their own as well.
Mitchell bricked a monster jam. Rubio threw a lob way over Rudy Gobert — a difficult feat. And bad passes around led to plenty of turnovers or poor possessions.
But the Jazz had a couple saving graces. A strong fourth quarter where they outscored Phoenix by 20 — and the fact that they were playing the Suns.
“We licked in, got stops and communicated,” Mitchell said. “I think that was our best defense in the fourth and even the whole I think we really communicated at an excellent level.”
Gobert finished with 16 points and 12 rebounds, Rubio had 13 points, nine rebounds and six assists, and Favors had 14 points for the Jazz.
Utah improved to 31-24 with the win.
