Devin Booker stabilizes, Suns beat Jazz in NBA Cup play

On By Littum

Yes, Devin Booker is fine.

If you foolishly needed more than the reassurance a decade-long resume should provide, Booker’s 31 points in Tuesday’s 120-112 Phoenix Suns win over the Utah Jazz was proof that his slow start is nothing to worry about. Even a little bit.

Fifteen of those 31 came in the fourth quarter, including two 3s and an assist on another in the final four minutes to extend Phoenix’s lead to 14 with 1:27 left.

Booker, who incidentally won Western Conference Player of the Week at one point, posted 42.6% shooting and 32.1% from 3-point range through 10 games entering Tuesday. An illness that improbably landed him on the injury report for Friday’s win clearly still bothered him in Sunday’s loss, with his play in Utah indicating he’s now back in a good place health-wise.

In what is often forgotten by many, Booker is traditionally a slow starter. His monthly breakdowns in points per games really start to pick up when the new year comes around. As a power back who wears down a defense as a game goes on, he gets better as the season progresses.

Phoenix led 64-49 at halftime in what was a solid enough effort to take advantage of how awful the Jazz looked before a 30-23 Utah third period saw the Suns squander their best opportunity this stretch of games to get in a blowout and some rest. Tuesday is Game 7 of 12, with the Suns playing at least every other day, with a couple of back-to-backs in there.

Utah got within six early in the fourth quarter before a 7-0 Suns spurt featuring two Bradley Beal markers extended their lead back to 13. Utah kept making stingy swipes back to get into the game before Booker put it away.

Beal had a very good night with 24 points, three rebounds, four assists, two steals and a block in 29 minutes, but did not return to the game after checking out at the 7:19 mark due to a tight left calf. There was no clear moment during his final minute of play when he appeared to injure himself.

This is another nod for Beal. He rolled up his left knee in the previous game and also had an ankle tweaked. In addition, he has been dealing with a problem with his right elbow.

Booker also had a tough looking knee-to-knee collision late that sure looked like it sucked. He stayed in the game. Needless to say, Phoenix can’t afford to be without either of them while Kevin Durant (left calf strain) and Jusuf Nurkic (left ankle soreness) recover.

The Suns’ supporting cast was terrific for what feels like the 11th straight game in a 9-2 start. Mason Plumlee contributed 15 points and 14 rebounds in Nurkic’s place, while it was a much-needed bounce-back effort for Grayson Allen with 15 points. Rookie center Oso Ighodaro added six points and 12 rebounds in 21 minutes.

This was the start of the NBA Cup group stage, which will consist of four total games over the next three weeks to determine who advances to the final eight-team bracket. Making it to the bracket guarantees at least $50,000 to each player. That, plus the competitive aspect of a tournament format, proved to make it a success in its debut last season.

A dynamic in group play last year that took some getting used to for the teams was the points difference that played a significant role in determining the standings, given the odds for tiebreakers. Teams are motivated to run up what we usually call garbage time. However, Phoenix plays at Sacramento on Wednesday, so again there was an incentive to sit key players late. It did not have that luxury on Tuesday.

Phoenix’s next NBA Cup game is on Friday in Oklahoma City against the Thunder, the favorites to win Group B, even though they don’t have a healthy big right now.

Utah All-Star Lauri Markkanen has clearly not been himself this season through back problemsshot 36.4% from the field in nine games entering Tuesday, and he looked again with a pedestrian 17 points. He has been phenomenal the last two years and has developed into one of the best wings in the NBA. But whatever happens to him physically, it also leads to a distinct lack of aggression, the latter of which is a problem for him as a goalscorer early in his career. With Markkanen in this state, Jazz will be a train wreck.

John Collins took Utah’s starting center spot with Walker Kessler (right hip soreness) and produced 29 points, 11 rebounds, four assists, three steals and a block.