Suns at Jazz Game Thread 9:00ET MY 45

[FArting]

The Utah Jazz spent their latest game missing three of their most important players, and those absences showed in their third straight loss. The Phoenix Suns lost their future Hall of Famer a quarter into their latest game, but they kept right on rolling.

Coming off their most impressive victory of the season, the Suns will look for their fifth win in six games Monday in Utah, where the depleted Jazz are just happy to return from a rocky five-game road trip.Phoenix won four of its first five behind a hot start from Amare Stoudemire, who averaged 25.8 points on 69.6 percent shooting, including a 49-point performance in a win over Indiana. After a loss to Chicago while Shaquille O'Neal sat out, the Suns (8-3) have won four of their last five with their rejuvenated center leading the way.

O'Neal is averaging 19.4 points and 8.8 rebounds in that stretch, and he had 12 points in just 13 minutes on Sunday night against Detroit. Then, with 5:19 left in the first half, he was ejected for a flagrant foul two on Pistons guard Rodney Stuckey."I've never been the type of player to take anybody out, so I obviously went to the ball," O'Neal said. "The little guy ran into a brick wall."Even without O'Neal, the Suns jumped out to a 15-point halftime lead on their way to a 104-86 victory over Detroit, which had ended the Lakers' 7-0 start just two days earlier.

"It's good to see our guys come out and jump on a very good basketball team," Phoenix coach Terry Porter said.O'Neal wasn't the only Suns player missing from the win. Forward Matt Barnes was sitting out the second of a two-game suspension for his involvement in an altercation last week in a loss to Houston, while guard Leandro Barbosa missed his second game after returning to Brazil following the death of his mother.All-Star point guard Steve Nash, who was given a one-game suspension for the fracas with the Rockets, returned Sunday and finished with 17 points and seven assists.

The Jazz (6-4) know better than most teams what it's like to be shorthanded. Utah knew it would start the season without injured point guard Deron Williams, yet it jumped out to a 6-1 start and got Williams back from his left ankle sprain on Tuesday in a win at Philadelphia.But after a loss to Washington, Williams said his ankle was still bothering him, so he sat out games against Charlotte and Cleveland. Williams hasn't been the only key player missing, however. Andrei Kirilenko has missed the last two games with a sprained right index finger and center Mehmet Okur is in Turkey tending to a family situation.Even with those three missing Saturday in Cleveland, the Jazz jumped out to a seven-point halftime lead. They folded in the second half, however, losing 105-93 to close their five-game Eastern road trip at 1-4."We can't worry about this guy being hurt and that guy being hurt," Utah coach Jerry Sloan said. "I feel bad for them, but we still have to compete. You have to learn how to play in those tough games."

Kirilenko is expected to play Monday as the Jazz return to EnergySolutions Arena, where they're 4-0. It's unclear if Williams will play and unlikely that Okur will return.Utah won two of three against Phoenix last season, and has taken six of eight in the series overall.

http://scores.espn.go.com/nba/preview?gameId=281117026

 

[Mainstreet]

I always like watching the rookies but I am particulary interested in seeing Utah rookie center Kosta Koufos, age 19. He's the player I wanted the Suns to choose at #15 although I have never seen him play. It would be nice to see him matched up with Lopez. I believe Lopez is much quicker.

http://www.nba.com/playerfile/kosta_koufos/index.html

 

[mjb21aztd]

I kind of expect the suns to lose this after just playing the pistonx last night but I think they will keep it close but will just be a little tired at the end.

Jazz 105

Suns 98

Leading Scoer who else Amare 27 pts 8 boards

 

[Ronin]

Suns 92
Jazz 84

*One big key is to crash the offensive boards. If they do that they should win this game.

 

[FArting]

Shaq will be playing tonight

Suns center Shaquille O'Neal was fined $25,000 for "verbal abuse of an official and failure to leave the court in a timely manner" after his second-quarter ejection in Sunday night's Suns victory against Detroit, NBA executive vice president Stu Jackson announced today. That means no suspension will come with the flagrant foul, penalty two, that merited the ejection.

http://www.azcentral.com/members/Blog/PaulCoro/

 

[Yuma]

Suns 98, Jazz 88 (Homer guess)

 

[phxsuns49]

Deron Williams is a game time decision and Kirilenko is doubtful, so the Suns should have a good chance to win this game.

Suns 95
Jazz 90

 

[Cheesebeef]

i usually like playing teams at full strength, but i'd like to get as many wins as possible right now and we have enough of a litmus test coming up on Thursday against the Lakeshow so it won't bother me to play a Williams-less Jazz club... that is unless we lose to them.

 

[Brianellsworth]

Williams is out for tonight. Kirilenko will be playing.

 

[LV-Suns]

ouch, thats a nasty lineup starting for Utah

 

[LV-Suns]

I haven't seen Amare shoot anything but mid range jumper this whole past week. What is he doing?

 

[LV-Suns]

Amare or Antoine Walker..

 

[Bayless2Budinger]

Amare or Antoine Walker..

Relax. 6 pts so far.

We really need a shooting guard that can shoot or defend cause Raja cant do either.

 

[Brianellsworth]

miles is shooting lights out for the Jazz. Kind of ridiculous...

 

[Bayless2Budinger]

Damn Koufus got up! Thank god refs blew that call.

 

[LV-Suns]

Ok, Amare getting to the line. Anything better than taking jumpers over the defender.

Bell couldn't be anymore wide open for that 3. Why is this guy complaining his offensive hit to the media. He does know the ball goes through the rim....maybe?

 

[Andrew]

Our offense is coming together...

 

[Andrew]

Amare with 14 in the first

 

[andrewlovesshaq]

Our offense is coming together...

True. I am just glad that Shaq was not suspended for tonights game or we would have been in some serious trouble.

 

[Andrew]

Can you like not exist? Ok...thank you

 

[andrewlovesshaq]

Amare with 14 in the first

15

 

[Sovereignz]

Ok, Amare getting to the line. Anything better than taking jumpers over the defender.

Bell couldn't be anymore wide open for that 3. Why is this guy complaining his offensive hit to the media. He does know the ball goes through the rim....maybe?

I'm not really sure what you're complaining about with either player. Stoudemire has probably the second best jumper in the league among big men, and Bell although he's inconsistent is still one of the best or at least better 3 point shooters in the league. You don't make 100% of your threes just because your open, or why would there even be a 3 point contest?

 

[andrewlovesshaq]

Can you like not exist? Ok...thank you

I am flamboyantly righteous how can I not exist!!!

 

[Brianellsworth]

Can we not get a rebound come on!!!

 

[cly2tw]

When Shaq is in, we gotta go to him. Several TOs trying to pass around him already! and only 1 pt lead now.