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Well done, Suns fans! The longest year in history ends in hours, and the Phoenix Suns ended it with a roller coaster ride that mirrored the year it was played.
Phoenix played the first straight game against the Utah Jazz on Thursday night. It was the first time this season that the Suns have played in front of a live audience, with fans allowed at Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City.
Defense was the name of the game as they held an opponent under 100 points for the second game in a row, beating the Jazz 106-95.
The Suns’ record for the 2020 calendar year, January 1 through December 31, was 25-20.
Game flow
The game started in fashion 2020: a delay due to a broken panel cable. As if we haven’t waited long enough for basketball this year.
After a night in which he felt the Suns could not fail against the Pelicans, it was a choppy start to Salt Lake.
Ayton found himself struggling early on, picking up 2 games in the first. Dario Saric and Frank Kaminsky, who did not play the two preseason games against Utah, have proven their worth in Ayton’s absence. Their ability to box, bounce, and switch shots indoors negated the indoor attack Utah attempted to deploy.
Although Booker had a rough 0-4 start, he started to tap into the talent we used late in the first when he blew through Jordan Clarkson for the slam.
It’s great to see Booker attack the basket. Devin has had a different start to the season than Booker, averaging just 19 points per game so far this season at 30.8% deep. Granted, the Suns didn’t need his 27-point performance. The team ball triumphed for the Suns and the defensive attention Booker receives has benefited the Suns shooters. The Suns went 17-33 behind the 3-point line.
He followed up with a signature racing jumper on the right side.
The Suns were trailing 1 at the end of the first, 22-21.
Phoenix stepped up the defense in the second as they harassed the Jazz, jumped onto passing lanes and cut records. It’s really impressive to live with a team that is still active defensively. The Suns’ length and engagement on this side of the floor equates to burnouts, quick breaks and easy baskets.
Jevon Carter, Cameron Payne, and of course Mikal Bridges lead the squad in “we’ll make you work for every possession” minutes.
Much like the game against the Pelicans, the Suns used the second quarter to create a lead. At halftime, the Suns were up 13, edging Utah by 14 in Q2. The Suns shot 47.7 percent from field and 7-18 from depth.
Let’s all take a moment to appreciate Cameron Payne’s efforts. One game is Zion, the next is Golbert:
His ability to complete the turn of the rim with speed, coupled with the unique angles and degree of difficulty in which he shoots, is something we haven’t seen since Leandro Barbosa was a member of the Suns.
Utah started third in an 11-2 run, closing the gap and making a play again.
Ayton continued to be a mystery to the Suns. 4 points ?! Several times he found himself under the basket with the ball in his hands. The defense crumbled around him. Rather than taking the ball strong and putting pressure on the opponent, maybe even harvesting an always elusive foul, he passed the ball through. Still, his defense continues to be excellent. His style of finesse bodes well for the deterrence of hits.
We will continue to try to solve the enigma that is Deandre Ayton until 2021.
Three back-to-back Mikal Bridges pushed the lead back to 9.5. Utah reduced it to 5, Mikal 3-ball. The smoothness of his shot and the confidence in which he shoots becomes dangerous.
As deadly as a blind pass from Point Dario? Perhaps.
The Suns’ defense stirred Utah at the end of the third, creating an offense once again. In a sometimes bewildered period, during which the Suns gave up 30 points, they scored 30 points and entered 4th place 13, 83-70.
Bridges is still charged with the most powerful offensive force in the opposition. For Utah, it’s All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell. The warden was running the asylum tonight, keeping Mitchell under control. He finished with 23. Every point has been earned. Every possession was contested.
Phoenix’s header climbed to 19 in the 4th, but Utah continued to squeal, not allowing the Suns to feel comfortable until the very end. Devin Booker had a few late turnovers led to Jazz three and the score was reduced to 5 with less than 2 minutes left.
However, Book’s back-to-back trios sealed the victory.
next
The Suns fly to Denver tonight and face the Nuggets tomorrow night at 7:00 p.m. Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray and the Denver Nuggets will rest after a 10-point loss to the Sacramento Kings last Tuesday. Entered the game with a 1-3 record.
Well done at the end of 2020. It’s ironic that a troubled year is potentially the year the Suns got the ship right. We will take with us many memories of 2020 because their sides were countless. And the suns were the bright side. From the sun. Zing.
Happy New Year, Suns fans.
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