Who: Utah Jazz (2-2) @ Phoenix Suns (1-4)
When: 7:00 pm Arizona Time
Where: Mortgage Matchup Center, Phoenix, AZ
Watch: Suns+, Arizona’s Family 3TV, Arizona’s Family Sports
Listen: KMVP 98.7, KSUN
The start
of the Phoenix Suns’ season has been weird. Spooky, one might say. Especially looking at that injury report as we all await the return of Dillon Brooks and the debut of Jalen Green.
We will have to wait at least one more game, possibly more, depending on how they progress.
Just four days after dropping a career-best 51 on the Suns, Lauri Markkanen and the Jazz get another shot at Phoenix, this time to open NBA Cup play on this Friday evening.
Each team is coming off a disappointing, last-second loss on Wednesday night. It’s the first Cup game of the season and a Friday night game on Halloween, so there should be some extra juice in the building.
Probable Starters
Injury Report
Suns
- Dillon Brooks – OUT (Core Muscle Strain)
- Jalen Green – OUT (Right Hamstring Strain)
- CJ Huntley – OUT (G League – Two-Way)
- Koby Brea – OUT (G League – Two-Way)
Jazz
- Georges Niang — OUT (Foot)
- Isaiah Collier — QUESTIONABLE (Hamstring)
What to Watch For
Contain Lauri Markkanen
The guy dropped 51 points on Phoenix just a few days ago, and I’m not sure what the answer is here for Lauri, but they will need to make defensive adjustments. It can’t happen again, and it’s going to take a full team effort to stop him, not just an individual or two.
He followed that up with 32 points, three steals, and three blocks in Wednesday’s 136–134 loss to Portland. Markkanen is averaging 34.0 points (fifth in the NBA) while shooting 50.6% from the field and 40% from deep.
The Center Battle
Mark Williams, Nick Richards, and Oso Ighodaro vs. Utah’s trees will be another fascinating subplot to watch. I’d like to see more two-big lineups, because I felt they were too small in their last contest for several important spurts.
One trio I’d like to see get more minutes together: Collin Gillespie, Devin Booker, and Mark Williams. Against this bigger Jazz team, adding in two of Oso, Royce, Dunn, or Fleming would be ideal. I know, I know. Fleming is probably a long shot to see minutes, but dreaming is free. With Dillon Brooks out, they could use another forward to throw some physicality and athleticism at this Jazz team.
Keys to a Suns Win
A better start would be nice. The Suns need to quit digging themselves in early holes, and Devin Booker is aware, as he mentioned below to Duane Rankin after Thursday’s practice. That starts with team defense, but on the offensive side, Devin Booker needs to pick it up early.
Book is shooting just 32% in the 1st quarter this season, which is extremely uncharacteristic of him.
Taking care of the ball also comes to mind. The Suns are coughing it up 17.2 times a night, third-most in the NBA, and shooting just 44.3% from the floor, the fifth-worst.
“Our transition defense gave up like 30-plus points,” Mark Williams said after posting 20 and 11 in his first start against Memphis. “Cut that in half and it’s a different game.”
Williams has now posted back-to-back double-doubles, including Monday’s 25-and-11 versus Utah. He was one of four Suns to hit that mark: Devin Booker (34 points, 10 assists), Royce O’Neale (17 and 13), and Collin Gillespie (15 and 13). O’Neale, by the way, has knocked down 11 threes over his last two outings. They’ll need more of that from the savvy veteran.
How does the NBA Cup work?
The five teams in each group all play each other in a round-robin format in the NBA Cup, then each group winner will advance to the knockout round Dec. 9-10. The runner-up with the best record from each conference will also advance to round out the field of eight teams. The Cup Final is Dec. 16 in Las Vegas.
Prediction
The Suns snap the streak, and Booker goes nuclear for 44 points.
Suns 115, Jazz 111
