Will Hardy Issues Insightful Statement After Jazz Loss vs. Suns

The Utah Jazz head coach sounded off after Friday's loss.

Dec 13, 2024; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Utah Jazz head coach Will Hardy watches play against the Phoenix Suns during the first quarter at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images / Rob Gray-Imagn Images

It was a solid effort for the Utah Jazz on Friday night, ultimately ending in a 126-134 loss on their home floor vs. the Phoenix Suns. Utah wound up shooting an incredible 56.4% from three-point range on 22 makes, but couldn't claw their way to a sixth victory on the year.

The Suns had a strong night on the offensive end themselves, which resulted in each member of their starting five logging double-digit points on the night, as well as Ryan Dunn off the bench. Overall, Phoenix shot 52.8% from the field, 48.9% from three, and 90% from the free throw line on 20 attempts.

After the loss, third-year Jazz head coach Will Hardy spoke with the media about some initial thoughts on the loss.

"If nothing else, tonight highlights the skill level in the NBA these days," Hardy said. "That was quite a shooting performance by both teams. Without a lot of points being given up in the paint; a lot of high-level shot making tonight from both teams... They made us pay for every mistake defensively tonight. Some nights, there's mistakes made, and you get let off the hook because shots are missed, and tonight was not one of those nights."

The game was commanded by dual elite performances from both Kevin Durant and Devin Booker. Durant returned to the lineup from a three-game absence to post 30 points, three rebounds and eight assists, while Booker led the Suns in scoring with 34, paired with two rebounds and eight assists.

It wasn't all bad on the offensive end for the Jazz, as they had five of their own guys scoring in double figures as well. The attack was led by spark plug Jordan Clarkson, who logged a team-high 23 points off the bench in his first game back from a foot injury. However, it wasn't enough to get Utah over the hump.

This win now lifts Phoenix to a 12-2 record when Durant is on the floor-- a win-loss percentage that would rank atop the Western Conference and 2-9 without him. As for the Jazz, things don't look much better in the standings after the results of Friday, stuck at 14th in the West at 5-19.

The Jazz will have an opportunity to get back on track and avoid their third-straight loss on Monday when they travel to take on the Los Angeles Clippers at Intuit Dome.

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