Mar 24, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker (1) passes the ball in opposition to Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray (27) within the first half at Mortgage Matchup Middle. Necessary Credit score: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Photographs The short-handed Phoenix Suns proceed to carry out hope for a top-six end within the Western Convention as they host the Utah Jazz — a staff that wins for shedding — on Saturday.
The Suns (40-33) have misplaced six of seven whereas taking part in with out injured key contributors Dillon Brooks (hand) and Mark Williams (foot), and they’re 4 video games behind the Houston Rockets with 9 to play within the race to remain out of the play-in spherical.
“We’re simply making an attempt to recover from the hump,” mentioned Suns guard Devin Booker, whose staff has misplaced three its previous 4 video games by margins of video games by one, three and two factors
The Suns fell to the Denver Nuggets 125-123 their final outing on Tuesday, when Nikola Jokic hit a brief jumper with 11.5 seconds left and Booker’s lengthy three bounced off the rim within the closing seconds.
“The vast majority of our losses on this stretch have been like that,” Booker mentioned. “Shut recreation within the fourth quarter. We simply must continue to grow, preserve constructing. I believe we’re competing onerous. We simply have not gotten over that hump.”
The Jazz (21-53) are on an extended skid, having misplaced 16 of 19 after giving up the ultimate six factors in a 135-129 defeat at Denver on Friday regardless of 34 assists, 10 steals and 84 factors within the paint. That is the very best whole for factors within the paint for the franchise within the play-by-play period (which started in 1996-97), in line with NBA.com.
“I am so happy with this group,” Utah coach Will Hardy mentioned. “The best way they compete and keep collectively and present a ton of resilience, toughness. Battle each single night time, it doesn’t matter what the lineups are. Now we have an actual staff in our locker room.”
The Jazz can’t lose quick sufficient. Their 2026 first-round draft decide is top-eight protected with the Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder, which means they lose it in the event that they fall to ninth within the standings. They’ve the fifth-worst file within the league, and the present odds of shedding the decide are 0.6%, in line with Tankathon.
On Friday, the Jazz led the Nuggets 120-107 on a three-point play from Elijah Harkless with 6:49 remaining. Denver went on a 22-6 run to take a 129-126 lead, however Utah tied it at 129 on a Harkless 3-pointer with 1:07 left earlier than Cam Johnson and Jamal Murray made 3-pointers to ship the Jazz to their fourth straight loss.
Kyle Filipowski returned to the lineup after sitting out a loss to the Washington Wizards on Wednesday resulting from sickness and led the Jazz with 25 factors and added eight rebounds and 5 assists in opposition to the Nuggets.
He and Brice Sensabaugh (13 factors, six assists) every performed 25 minutes.
Ace Bailey, the fifth participant taken within the 2025 draft, had 15 factors and 7 rebounds Friday. He has picked up steam in March, averaging 20.2 factors per recreation. His common on the season is 13.5.
The Jazz definitely have younger gamers to construct round. Filipowski and Sensabaugh are 22, and Bailey is just 19.
As for the Suns, Booker (25.5 factors per recreation) and Jalen Inexperienced have carried a lot of the scoring load with out Brooks, who’s averaging 20.9. Inexperienced is averaging 22.2 factors in 13 video games in March, besting his season common of 17.7.
The Suns have been out-rebounded in 5 of the final seven video games with out the solidifying paint presence of Williams, who was averaging 11.6 factors and eight.1 rebounds earlier than the damage.
“It might be good to be wholesome,” Inexperienced mentioned, “however as quickly as that ball will get tossed within the air we aren’t occupied with it. Roll the ball out, whoever’s within the rotation, whoever’s on the market, let’s get it.”
The Suns start a four-game, seven-day journey in Memphis on Monday that features stops in Orlando and Charlotte and can go a great distance in figuring out their postseason seed.
–Subject Degree Media
