Estimated read time: 3-4 minutes
- The Utah Jazz and Phoenix Suns tied an NBA record with 44 combined 3-pointers.
- Devin Booker scored 34 points, including a crucial late-game 3-pointer for the Suns' win.
- Jazz coach Will Hardy praised the high-level shotmaking in the 134-126 game.
SALT LAKE CITY — Jordan Clarkson didn't take long to know that he was going to be in a pretty good rhythm in his return after missing the last seven games.
Actually, it was hours before the game.
"When I woke up," he said with a smile. "Yeah, I was ready to play."
He and everyone else.
The Utah Jazz and Phoenix Suns apparently worked on their shooting over their long breaks. Or maybe they just got their legs back.
Whatever the case, the Delta Center was treated to some spectacular shotmaking on Friday.
Lauri Markkanen had a crossover step-back 3-pointer over Kevin Durant. Clarkson hit a buzzer-beater at the end of the first half. And Devin Booker had six of his own, including the biggest shot of the night.
With 1:45 left in the game, Booker hit a triple over the outstretched hand of Walker Kessler to help close the door on the Jazz in a 134-126 win by the Suns.
In the end, the two teams combined for 44 3-pointers, which tied an NBA record.
"If nothing else, tonight highlights the skill level in the NBA these days," Jazz coach Will Hardy said. "That was quite a shooting performance by both teams. … A lot of really high-level shotmaking tonight from both groups."
Maybe it should have been clear from the opening minutes that the teams were in for a big offensive night. Utah started the game with back-to-back corner 3-pointers from Kessler. Not only were those his first two made triples of the season, they were his first two attempts.
From there, everyone else got into the action.
Clarkson had 23 points and was 4-of-6 from 3-point range, John Collins had 22 points and also made four triples, Markkanen had 19 points and went 4-of-7 from distance. And the Jazz as a whole went 22-of-39 from 3-point range.
The problem: The Suns were just as good.
Booker had 34 points, Durant added 30 points, and Phoenix hit a combined 22 triples.
"I mean, it's fun," Clarkson said of the high-scoring affair. "It's a lot of points, a lot of shots, but definitely comes down to who's going to get stops. You're playing a small-fraction game with trading baskets with those guys. But, yeah, fun game. High scoring, free-flowing; it's always fun."
Both teams hadn't played since Sunday, meaning they were both well-rested coming into the game. That begged the question: Would more games be like Friday night if there were more rest days in the NBA?
"That's interesting," Clarkson said. "I don't know."
But he's not sure he'd want to have more days off, either, because, well, "I'm not too big on practice," he said with a smile, "and there was a lot of practice."
"I'd love to show up seven o'clock, throw my jersey on, go get in the layup lines and start the game," he continued. "But it is the NBA, we've got to come to work. But yeah, I mean, of course, when players get rested, we're gonna compete at a high level every time."
That's what happened on Friday.
For much of the night, both the Jazz and Suns flirted with a 60% shooting night from both the field and 3-point range before finally cooling off a bit in the fourth. The Jazz finished shooting 56% from the field and 56% from 3-point range; there haven't been a lot of teams on the losing end with those types of numbers.
The culprit, as has been the case a lot this season, was having seven more turnovers than the Suns.
Still, Utah was down by only 5 points with just over three minutes remaining, and it wasn't until Booker's rainbow 3-pointer over Kessler's high reach that the game ended.
"He's a good player. It was a good shot. It was good defense by me," Kessler said. "I felt very comfortable guarding him. He did another iso and missed it. … I was happy with that shot. He's a great player. He's going to make some shots, but that was good defense."
But better shotmaking — just like the rest of the night.
