Jalen Green scored 31 points and Devin Booker added 26 as the Phoenix Suns dominated the Utah Jazz 134-109 on Saturday night, snapping a rough stretch in which Phoenix had lost six of seven games. Grayson Allen chipped in 19 points, Oso Ighodaro added 13, and Khaman Maluach posted 12 points and nine rebounds. Both Green and Booker sat out the fourth quarter as the Suns cruised to a lopsided win.
Utah was paced by Brice Sensabaugh and Kyle Filipowski, who each scored 26 points, while Svi Mykhailuk contributed 14 and Ace Bailey had all 13 of his points in the second half. Kennedy Chandler added 11 points and eight assists for the Jazz, who have lost five straight, seven consecutive road games, and 10 of their last 11 overall. Utah has been hampered by injuries to regulars including Lauri Markkanen, Isaiah Collier, and Keyonte George, with Walker Kessler and Jaren Jackson already out for the season.
The Suns jumped out to an early lead with a 21-2 first-quarter run, taking a 37-17 advantage. Green scored 11 points in the period, making three of Phoenix’s eight 3-pointers. By halftime, Phoenix held a season-high lead of 73-45, fueled by Green’s 20 points in the first half. Sensabaugh (19 points) and Filipowski (17) scored nearly all of Utah’s first-half points, while the Jazz managed just 10 assists and committed 10 turnovers before the break.
The win moves Phoenix within 3½ games of sixth-place Houston Rockets, the final spot to avoid the Western Conference play-in tournament. Suns coach Jordan Ott noted that Dillon Brooks and Mark Williams, sidelined with a broken hand and foot respectively, have been cleared for 5-on-5 drills and could return during Phoenix’s upcoming four-game road trip.
Up next: Utah hosts the Cleveland Cavaliers on Monday, while Phoenix travels to Memphis Grizzlies the same night.
