The Phoenix Suns had a five-point lead and a mountain of offensive rebounds. By the time Friday’s preseason finale ended at Mortgage Matchup Center, both advantages had been spent.
Phoenix led Utah 95-90 after three quarters, then lost the fourth 29-21 and fell 119-116. The sharpest detail was easy to overvalue: the Suns grabbed 20 offensive rebounds to Utah’s nine. That is excellent work on the glass. It is not a guarantee that the next shot goes in—or that the possession remains clean long enough to produce one.
The fourth quarter illustrated the distinction almost immediately. Koby Brea missed a long attempt, Rasheer Fleming secured the offensive rebound, and Brea then drilled a 27-foot three-pointer for a 98-90 Phoenix lead. Utah responded with Brice Sensabaugh’s 14-foot basket. Ryan Dunn then committed a bad-pass turnover before Sensabaugh hit a 26-foot three, cutting the deficit to 98-95.
The next stretch was hardly one-way domination. Phoenix had a shot-clock turnover at 9:31, but Utah’s Brice Sensabaugh committed a backcourt turnover 12 seconds later. The Suns missed another three, and Koa Peat was called for a three-second violation. Ace Bailey’s two free throws at 8:43 brought Utah within one.
That sequence matters because Phoenix was still creating opportunities. The problem was what happened after the opportunity arrived. The Suns finished with 98 field-goal attempts to Utah’s 75, helped by those 20 offensive rebounds, but made only 41 shots. Utah made 37 while shooting 49 percent overall. Volume kept Phoenix in position; efficiency kept Utah attached.
Then came the decisive example. At 8:13, Peat blocked Kyle Filipowski’s driving layup. Filipowski recovered the offensive rebound and scored, putting Utah ahead 99-98.
After Brea was charged with an offensive foul, Filipowski added a 13-foot jumper for a 101-98 lead. Phoenix had another offensive rebound during that passage, but a three-second turnover followed. Phoenix’s work recovering the ball was being undermined by the possessions that followed.
Utah’s work at the foul line made Phoenix’s missed opportunities even more expensive. The Jazz went 32-for-37 on free throws; the Suns went 18-for-26. Phoenix made 16 three-pointers to Utah’s 13, a nine-point edge in made threes.
Utah’s 14-point advantage on free throws outweighed it. The arithmetic was not mysterious, and it did not require a disputed call: one team routinely converted its free throws while the other left eight points there.
