The Phoenix Suns and Utah Jazz started the season on much different trajectories, but they each have blank slates on Tuesday when they meet in Salt Lake City for the first game in group play in the NBA Cup.
In last season’s inaugural edition of the NBA Cup, then called the NBA In-Season Tournament, Phoenix advanced from the five-team group at 3-1 to reach the knockout round. Utah finished third in the group at 2-2.
Through the first few weeks of this regular season, the Jazz struggled to an 0-6 start — the franchise’s worst opening stretch since going 0-8 in 2013-14. Utah tips off the NBA Cup having won two of three games, however, coming off a 111-110 decision in San Antonio on Saturday.
Collin Sexton’s free throws with 3.2 seconds gave Utah a necessary buffer, as Devin Vassell hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer. Sexton finished with a team-high 23 points, as the Jazz improved to 2-1 this season when he notches 20-plus points.
Sexton scored 24 in the 135-126 win at Chicago on Nov. 4.
Lauri Markkanen scored 20 points in his second game back in the lineup after leaving the Oct. 29 loss to Sacramento with back spasms. Rookie forward Kyle Filipowski played a strong all-around game against the Spurs with eight points, six assists and five rebounds.
“He’s very comfortable with the ball in his hands,” Jazz coach Will Hardy said of Filipowski, per the Deseret News. “It gives us a lot of (options) on offense, especially when he’s out there with John (Collins) and Lauri.”
Fellow Utah rookie guard Isaiah Collier, helping fill in with Keyonte George out with a foot injury, had seven points, six rebounds and four assists in his second NBA game.
While Utah tips off the NBA Cup coming off of just its second win on the season, Phoenix begins group play coming off of only its second loss.
The Suns lost to visiting Sacramento 127-118 in overtime, snapping their seven-game winning streak. Devin Booker scored 28 points, Bradley Beal added 23 and Tyus Jones recorded a season-high 22 to shoulder the bulk of the offensive load with Kevin Durant sidelined.
Durant sustained a left calf strain in Phoenix’s 114-113 win over Dallas on Friday. The team announced the 11-time All-NBA forward will miss at least the next two weeks.
Beal, who has been dealing with an elbow sprain, also collided with DeMar DeRozan on Sunday and underwent an X-ray on his left knee following the game. Results from the X-ray returned negative.
Beal’s incident came after Jusuf Nurkic exited the game with an ankle injury.
“Our depth definitely got tested with Nurk going out,” Suns coach Mike Budenholzer said.
Veteran reserve Mason Plumlee, who Budenholzer said has been “very good” for Phoenix this season, came on to provide six points, 11 rebounds and six assists.
Fellow reserve Josh Okogie added nine points and five rebounds. Regardless of the status of Beal or Nurkic for Tuesday, Budenholzer is still looking for continued contributions from the bench.
“We’ve been talking about how positive we are on Oso (Ighodaro),” Budenholzer said. “Josh has done it now for two games in a row. … Two guys (who) haven’t been in the rotation, haven’t played, to come in tonight and be really good is a good sign for us.”