Devin Booker stabilizes, Suns beat Jazz to start NBA Cup play

Yes, Devin Booker is fine.

In case 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 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 last four minutes to pad Phoenix’s lead to 14 with 1:27 to go.

Booker, who by the way won Western Conference Player of the Week at one point, logged 42.6% shooting and 32.1% at 3-point range through 10 games coming into Tuesday. An illness that improbably had him listed on the injury report for Friday’s victory clearly still bothered him in Sunday’s loss, with his play in Utah indicating he is now back in a good place health-wise.

In what is often forgotten by many, Booker is traditionally a slow starter. His monthly splits in points per game really begin to inflate once the turn of the new year comes. Like a power back wearing 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 capitalize on how awful the Jazz looked before a 30-23 Utah third period saw the Suns squander their best opportunity on this run of games to get in a blowout and some rest. Tuesday is game No. 7 of 12 in which the Suns play at least every other day, with a pair of back-to-backs in there as well.

Utah got within six in the early fourth quarter before a 7-0 Suns spurt headlined by two Bradley Beal makes extended their lead back to 13. Utah kept making stingy swipes back at getting in 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 in the game after checking out at the 7:19 mark due to left calf tightness. There was not an evident moment over his last minute of play when he appeared to injure himself.

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

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

The Suns’ supporting cast was great for what feels like the 11th straight game in a 9-2 start. Mason Plumlee contributed 15 points and 14 rebounds in Nurkic’s spot while it was a 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 NBA Cup group play, 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 of group play last year that took some getting used to for teams was point differential playing a significant role in determining the standings, given the odds of tiebreakers being required. Teams are motivated to run up the score during what we normally refer to as garbage time. Phoenix, however, plays in Sacramento on Wednesday so again there was some incentive to sit key players late. It did not get 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 do not have a healthy big right now.

Utah All-Star Lauri Markkanen has clearly not been himself this season through back issues, shooting 36.4% from the field in nine games coming into Tuesday, and he looked off 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 is happening with him physically is also leading to some clear lack of aggression, with the latter being a problem for him as a scorer early in his career. With Markkanen in this state, the Jazz are going to be a train wreck.

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

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