No comeback this time as Phoenix Suns fall to Utah Jazz 112-101

The second game of the preseason didn’t look much differently than the first game for the Phoenix Suns. They spotted the Utah Jazz 65 points in the first half, digging themselves a 16-point hole in the process. The bench dug the Suns out of the hole in the second half, but they couldn’t finish the deal this time, falling 112-101 in Salt Lake City.

For the second consecutive game, the Suns’ bench sparked a second-half comeback to storm back from a 65-49 deficit at the half. Alex Len was Phoenix’s co-leading scorer with 18 points, leading rebounder with nine boards, and chipped in two blocks. Tyler Ulis, meanwhile, had a better showing for himself tonight, scoring 14 points and leading the Suns with six assists. And September acquisition Troy Daniels continued his hot shooting, hitting five of six 3-pointers for 18 points of his own.

The Suns as a team only shot 43.2 percent from the field but made 13 of 27 3-pointers to offset a subpar shooting performance overall. They also committed 20 turnovers for the game.

Utah, on the other hand, shot 41.2 percent from the field but attempted 97 field goals to Phoenix’s 74, due in part to crushing the Suns on the offensive glass 19-4.

Alec Burks had 19 points for the Jazz in 19 minutes of action off the bench. Rodney Hood had 19 points as well, and Joel Bolomboy had 12 points in 8:26 of action.

The first half was painful for the Suns, and it wasn’t just on the scoreboard. T.J. Warren crashed into a railing near the corner of the court and left in the 2nd quarter to get five stitches in the back of his head to close a gash. He did not return. The injury issues weren’t limited to Phoenix, though, as Utah’s Dante Exum left the game in the 1st quarter with a shoulder injury.

In the rookie watch, Josh Jackson had 11 points and eight rebounds for the Suns on 5-of-9 shooting in 30 minutes. For the Jazz, Donovan Mitchell had just eight points on 3-of-16 shooting as he came back from a minor injury.