Suns 117, Jazz 103: Three Sad-But-True Takeaways

Devin Booker scored 24 points, while Deandre Ayton chipped in 14 as the Phoenix Suns defeated the Utah Jazz, 117-103. Lauri Markkanen led all scorers with 25 points in a losing cause.

Utah was able to keep it close for most of the game, despite only shooting 25% from long distance and 66.7% from the charity stripe. However, missing 29 three-pointers and nine free throws on the night was too much to overcome for a team that was undermanned heading into the contest.

It was a gallant effort, but the Suns outscored the Jazz 34-22 in the final period and cruised to the victory. What did we learn in Utah’s fourth straight defeat?

Let’s break it down.

Lack of Depth Rearing its Ugly Head

The depth issues were too much to overcome, with Simone Fontecchio, Jordan Clarkson, and Collin Sexton unable to suit up. The Jazz actually had a four-point lead late in the third quarter, but when Juan Toscano-Anderson and Damian Jones subbed in for Walker Kessler and Ochai Agbaji at the 3:41 mark, the wheels came off.

The Suns proceeded with a 17-3 run over the next five minutes, putting the game out of reach. Hardy addressed the second unit in his post-game interview.

"I didn't feel like that group overly gave up the rim or let them shoot wide-open threes," Hardy said. ”We got to figure out offensively what we're gonna do with that group to try to generate some easier baskets."

Utah Hasn’t Thrown in the Towel Yet

The big story of the night was the return of Markkanen. It would have been easy for Utah’s front office to sit its All-Star and play for draft position, but that wasn’t the case.

Markkanen logged 36 minutes despite missing the last two games with a wrist injury. That being said, purposefully trying to lose the last seven games of the season may be a moot point.

The way it’s trending, the Jazz appear to be settling in at No. 9 spot in terms of lottery odds, regardless of whether Markkanen plays or not.

Another Big Night for the Rookie

Kessler finished the game with 18 points on 8-for-10 shooting while also blocking seven shots. The Suns tested the Rookie of the Year candidate at the rim early and often, only to be denied throughout the game.

Also, in a 14-point loss, Kessler proved how important he is with a +7 in the +/- category.

In the month of March, Kessler is averaging 13.2 ppg while grabbing 10.2 rebounds. A lot of credit should go to the Jazz coaching staff and their development program for not only Kessler, but Agbaji as well.

Next up, the Jazz hit the road to take on the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday night. Tip off is at 6:00 MDT.

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