Jazz 118, Suns 91
Derrick Favors scored a career-high 32 points to go along with nine rebounds as Utah crushed visiting Phoenix to earn its first win.
Gordon Hayward added 24 points and 10 boards while Trevor Booker recorded 14 and nine for the Jazz, who controlled the glass 52-34. Rookie Dante Exum hit three 3-pointers en route to 10 points off the bench for Utah.
Gerald Green led the way with 16 points off the bench for the Suns, who suffered their first loss. Markieff Morris added 13 points and seven rebounds while Marcus Morris scored 12 for the Phoenix.
The Suns trailed by as much as 18 points in the second quarter before a 19-2 run chopped the deficit to 51-50. Favors scored eight points in the final 2:26 of the half to keep the Jazz in front and make it 59-55 at the break.
Miles Plumlee’s layup put Phoenix up 60-59 just over a minute into the third but Hayward scored seven points during an 11-0 surge as Utah wrested back control. Hayward’s 3-pointer made it an 83-69 gap with 2:23 left in the period, and his three-point play midway through the fourth pushed the lead to 24 as the Jazz cruised to the finish.
GAME NOTEBOOK: The Jazz allowed an average of 112 points in back-to-back losses to start the season but had little trouble with the Suns, holding them to 36 points in the second half. … Utah G Alec Burks, who signed a $42 million contract extension on Friday, was held to 10 points on 2-of-8 shooting in 33 minutes. … Phoenix went 16-of-32 from 3-point range in its opener but is just 9-of-49 from beyond the arc in the last two games.