Jazz Underwhelm in Blowout Loss vs. Suns, 126-104

The Utah Jazz were bad from start to finish against the Phoenix Suns.

Kevin Durant led all scorers with 26 points as the Phoenix Suns trampled the Utah Jazz in their home opener, 126-104. Lauri Markkanen led Utah with 19 points in a losing cause.

The Jazz entered the contest hoping to steal a victory due to the Suns missing All-Stars Devin Booker and Bradley Beal, but it wasn’t meant to be. The Jazz looked lethargic and disconnected from start to finish. It’s still early, but the Jazz not being competitive in two out of their first three contests is never a good thing. 

Jazz fans saw this script way too often last year regarding defending the opposing backcourt. Suns guard Eric Gordon finished with 21 points, with 19 coming in the first half. The well-traveled veteran was 9-for-14 from the field and only played 26 minutes. 

Also, Grayson Allen finished the contest with 17 points on 6-for-9 shooting. It’s never going to be a good night giving up that type of efficiency to players who are accustomed to backup duty.

The one commonality in Utah’s losses this season is slow starts. The Jazz found themselves down nine points just 4:30 minutes into the game, and it was uphill from there. The Jazz were outscored by 10 points in the first quarter, six in the second, and 12 in the third.

In Utah’s opening night loss against the Sacramento Kings, Utah was down eight points in the first five minutes. It’s a small sample size, but something to keep an eye on moving forward.

It doesn’t get easier for the Jazz as they stay on the road when they face the defending champs, the Denver Nuggets, on Monday.

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