3 Keys to Victory for Utah Jazz's NBA Cup Matchup vs. Phoenix Suns

The Utah Jazz will be a part of the NBA's first batch of NBA Cup games on Halloween night against the Phoenix Suns for their second meeting of the season, and will look to rattle off a 3-2 start through five games, as well as kicking off their in-season tournament slate 1-0.

But to do that, the Jazz will need to key in on a few factors. They were able to edge out a narrow overtime victory over Phoenix earlier in the week in an overtime effort by four points and a Lauri Markkanen explosion, but it's always difficult to beat a team more than once. And in a road environment with the NBA Cup underway, the stakes might be just a bit higher heading into this one.

With that, here are three keys for the Jazz to come away with their second victory over Phoenix to begin the new season, and start off the NBA Cup with a W in the books:

1. Win the Turnover Battle

Oct 27, 2025; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Phoenix Suns guard Collin Gillespie (bottom) battles with Utah Jazz guard Walter Clayton Jr. (left) and guard Keyonte George (3) during the second half at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images | Rob Gray-Imagn Images

During their most recent meeting vs. the Suns, Utah came up short of winning the turnover battle, 14-19 to Phoenix, but ended up grinding out a 138-134 overtime win in order to overcome those excessive giveaways on the offensive end.

But heading into their second matchup of the year vs. Phoenix, the turnovers have to scale down a bit to find that consistent success offensively

Those giveaways have been a pesky problem for the Jazz across the past two seasons, and through four games of the year, they're ranked top three in turnovers per game, behind only the LA Lakers and LA Clippers. During their most recent showing against the Portland Trail Blazers, the Jazz had a staggering 21 of them.

To win consistently in the NBA, you have to come out successful in the turnover battle. That won't change in the NBA Cup, and it'll be a key focus for Will Hardy and the Jazz offense.

2. Dominate the Glass... Again

Oct 16, 2025; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Utah Jazz center Walker Kessler (24) makes a rebound during the first half against the Portland Trail Blazers at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Peter Creveling-Imagn Images | Peter Creveling-Imagn Images

One aspect that the Jazz took clear control of against the Suns in game three of the season was their effective work on the boards. Utah's lengthy frontcourt out-rebounded Phoenix 64-48, maintaining that effort on both sides of the ball, and had three players hauling in 11-plus boards individually.

The Jazz will need to continue to use that overwhelming size to their advantage for a win in this one, which means the work on the glass will have to show similar shades of their last meeting vs. Phoenix–– and that turned out pretty well for them in their overtime victory.

Look for the combination of Lauri Markkanen, Kyle Filipowski, and Walker Kessler to contribute their fair share, along with Jusuf Nurkic off the bench, who had 13 boards in their last meeting vs. the Suns.

3. Another Lauri Markkanen Masterclass?

Oct 29, 2025; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Utah Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen (23) interacts with center Walker Kessler (24) and guard Svi Mykhailiuk (10) after a basket against the Portland Trail Blazers during the second quarter at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images | Rob Gray-Imagn Images

One of the players with the biggest spotlight in this one will, of course, be Jazz star Lauri Markkanen, who posted a historic 51-point performance against the Suns in Utah's third game of the season, and could have the perfect chance at an encore in game one of their NBA Cup run.

This time, it won't be in the Delta Center, and the Suns will almost certainly be keying in on the Jazz star to not let a repeat happen

But Markkanen should still be a force on the drive as a high-end finisher or to create contact as he did vs. Phoenix (17/17 on free throws), shot over 40% from three with six makes, and has a sheer size advantage over the Suns' frontcourt and lackluster defense that could create another challenging mismatch to cover.

50-plus might be a pretty steep expectation, but don't be surprised if Markkanen starts off his NBA Cup slate off on a high note against a favorable matchup.

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