Suns Overcome 17-Point Deficit in 4th to Beat Jazz
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Devin Booker scored 33 points and the NBA-leading Phoenix Suns overcame a 17-point deficit in the fourth quarter to beat the Utah Jazz 111-105 on Friday night.
Deandre Ayton sealed the victory off a pass from Chris Paul with 18.4 seconds left. Ayton had 19 points and 10 rebounds, and Paul had 16 points and 16 assists to help the Suns extend their franchise record with their 64th victory.
Bridges added 18 points, capping a 14-0 Phoenix run in the fourth quarter to tie it at 98. His dunk and three-point play with 46 seconds remaining gave the Suns a 107-102 lead.
Utah has lost 16 games where it held double-digit leads this season. The Suns outscored the Jazz 36-13 in the fourth quarter.
Bojan Bogdanovic scored 19 points for Utah. Slowed by Bridges, Donovan Mitchell had 18 points on 7-of-21 shooting. Rudy Gobert finished with 16 points and 10 rebounds.
After both teams had rested stars in their previous games, this one looked like a playoff preview with some brilliant execution at times and extraordinary effort.
Showing why these squads rank at the top in offensive efficiency, there were amazing baskets until the Suns suddenly clamped down.
The Suns long ago wrapped up the top seed in the NBA — and showed why they look like the team to beat.
“In hostile situations, it’s us against the world,” Bridges said. “We become tighter together and just get stronger. We’re one out there.”
The Suns finished with a franchise-record 32 road wins and become the first NBA team since 1969-70 New York Knicks to finish with a better road winning percentage than every other team’s home winning percentage.