Suns Strokes: Phoenix rolls to smooth victory over Jazz

Sure, you could read the box score and know who won, but we all know that won’t tell you everything that happened in a basketball game. So, we will give you Suns Strokes, providing you with the analysis, quotes and notes from the Suns’ 99-84 win over the Jazz on December 14.

The Good:

The Suns win consecutive games for the first time since November 21-23 with consecutive wins over teams with a winning record for the first time since March 8-10 last season.

Jared Dudley led five players in double figures scoring a season-high 22 points on 9-of-12 shooting. Marcin Gortat, meanwhile, posted his first double-double in six games with 12 points and 14 rebounds.

The Bad:

Michael Beasley pulled another disappearing act. He shot 0-of-5 after hitting three of his first four attempts. Playing some power forward for the second straight game, he scored eight of his 11 points in the opening quarter.

He Said It

“It’s just so much easier when you are playing downhill rather than uphill,” head coach Alvin Gentry said of his team playing with the lead for most of the game. “I thought it was our best first quarter by far. I thought we did a great job of moving the basketball.”

Noted:

• The Suns improve to 5-1 when holding teams under 90 points

• The Suns scored a season-high 34 first quarter points

• Phoenix trailed for all of 21 seconds (6:20-5:59 of first quarter)

• Shannon Brown has at least one steal in a career-high tying 10 straight games

• Dudley is shooting 25-of-43 (.581) from the field, including 6-of-15 (.400) from 3-point range in four games since returning to the starting lineup

Up Next:

The Suns (9-15) host Sacramento on Monday, December 17. It will be the first of four meetings between the two Pacific Division opponents.