Utah Jazz beat Phoenix Suns 119-116 in preseason finale
Web StoryWatch this story in 15 seconds →Key takeaways
- The Utah Jazz beat the Phoenix Suns 119-116 on Friday, Oct. 16. The game closed the preseason for both teams.
- Utah trailed by 13 points in the third quarter. A 28-9 run then flipped the game.
- Lauri Markkanen led Utah with 19 points. The real season starts Wednesday, Oct. 21.
The Utah Jazz beat the Phoenix Suns 119-116 on Friday. The game took place in Phoenix. It was the last preseason game for both teams.
The Jazz trailed by 13 points in the third quarter. They then went on a 28-9 run. That run turned the game around.
Preseason games come before the real season. Teams use them to test players and plans. The wins and losses do not count in the standings.
But the lessons still matter. Utah learned that its young players can fight back on the road.
What happened
The game took place at Mortgage Matchup Center in Phoenix. Both teams used their main players early. The stars played about half the game.
Then the bench players took over late.
The bench means the players who do not start. They come into the game later. Good bench play can change a game.
Utah got strong bench play on Friday night.
Phoenix built a lead in the third quarter. At one point, the Suns led by 13 points. The home crowd was loud.
Utah looked in trouble.
Then the Jazz went on a big run. A run means one team scores a lot in a row. The Jazz outscored Phoenix 28-9 over about 10 minutes.
That burst crossed the third and fourth quarters.
The burst gave Utah a 104-98 lead. Six minutes were left on the clock. Phoenix fought back from there.
The finish stayed tight to the end.
Rookie guard Darryn Peterson hit a floater late. A floater is a soft, high shot near the rim. It put Utah up 111-109.
Peterson added four points and one assist in the last 2:16. His late plays helped Utah close the game.
The final score was 119-116 for Utah. The Jazz held on in the last minute. They left Phoenix with a preseason win.
Lauri Markkanen led Utah with 19 points. Peterson finished with 13 points, six rebounds, and six assists. A rebound means grabbing the ball after a missed shot.
An assist means passing to a teammate who scores.
Ace Bailey scored 12 points on just three shots. It was his best preseason game so far. He linked up with Peterson for an alley-oop dunk early.
An alley-oop is a pass thrown near the rim for a dunk.
Brice Sensabaugh added 16 points in 17 minutes. He gave Utah a spark off the bench. His quick scoring kept Utah close when Phoenix pushed ahead.
For Phoenix, Jalen Green scored 18 points. Dillon Brooks also scored 18 points. Devin Booker added 16 points.
Those three led the Suns in scoring.
Khaman Maluach grabbed 12 rebounds. That was the most in the game. Rebounds give a team more chances to score.
Maluach started the game for Phoenix.
Miles Bridges scored eight points. He was back from an ankle injury. He hit two of three shots from deep.
Deep means from behind the three-point line.
Phoenix played without two men. Luke Kennard sat out with a knee tendon strain. Oso Ighodaro sat out with hip soreness.
A strain means a muscle or tendon is hurt. Soreness means the body part feels pain.
Kyle Filipowski made his season debut for Utah. He missed the first three preseason games. A back injury had kept him out.
He had back surgery in the offseason. The surgery fixed a herniated disc in his back.
A herniated disc means a soft pad in the back slips out of place. It can cause pain. Filipowski played through pain last season.
His return gives Utah more size inside.
Why it matters
Preseason games do not count in the standings. Teams still use them to learn. They test lineups and young players.
They build habits for the real season.
Utah learned that its young core can fight back. The Jazz trailed by 13 on the road. They did not quit.
They found a way to win.
Peterson was the second pick in the 2026 draft. The draft is how NBA teams pick new players. He made big plays late.
That is a good sign for Utah.
Bailey showed he can help off the bench. He scored with few shots. That kind of play wins minutes.
Minutes are hard to earn on a young team.
Sensabaugh showed the same thing. He scored fast in short time. Utah may lean on its bench this season.
Depth means having many good players, not just five.
For Phoenix, the game set the rotation. A rotation is the group of players a coach trusts. The Suns look set with a 10-man rotation.
That means 10 players will get most of the minutes.
The loss left Phoenix 1-4 in the preseason. The record does not count. But the Suns will want a fast start.
They open on the road next week.
The game also showed Phoenix's health questions. Kennard hurt his knee earlier in the week. His status for the opener is not yet clear.
Ighodaro is on track to play in the opener.
What happens next
The real season starts now. Preseason is over. Every game counts from here.
Wins and losses go in the standings. The standings decide who makes the playoffs.
Utah opens on Wednesday, October 21. The Jazz play at the Memphis Grizzlies. It is their first real test.
The young core will face a strong team on the road.
Phoenix also opens on October 21. The Suns play at the Portland Trail Blazers. They will hope Kennard is fit to play.
They will also hope the rotation holds up.
The NBA season starts October 20 with games across the league. Utah and Phoenix join the action one day later. Fans can plan their watch list now.
Utah also beat San Antonio earlier in the preseason. Read about the Jazz win over the Spurs. That game gave Utah a second preseason win.
Other teams also closed their preseason this week. The Celtics beat the Hornets 114-93 in their finale. Preseason is now done across the league.
The Jazz leave Phoenix with a win and some hope. Their young players stood up late. Now the real test begins.
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