Suns fall to Utah Jazz, take out frustrations in fight

SALT LAKE CITY – The Suns lost a basketball game Thursday which, in itself, is no surprise.

Their 116-88 loss to the Utah Jazz at Vivint Smart Home Arena was their seventh straight defeat and 22nd in their last 24 games. The only difference in this one: Phoenix actually led by three points after one quarter and then was outscored by 31 the rest of the way.

This loss, however, could have immediate repercussions, both in terms of fines and possible suspensions for Marquese Chriss and Jared Dudley.

With 6:55 left in the third quarter, Chriss went up for a dunk, missed and landed hard on the floor. Utah guard Ricky Rubio stepped over Chriss and, while he was on the floor, inbounded the ball.

As Rubio got the ball back and began to dribble down the floor, Dudley delivered two forearm shivers to his side Rubio came back at him and that’s when Chriss raced over and gave Rubio a hard two-handed shove, knocking him to the floor.

Utah’s Joe Ingles and Donovan Mitchell then charged toward Chriss. It took several seconds for coaches and security personnel to separate the teams, and after everything calmed down and the officials had a long look at the scrum, Dudley received a flagrant 2 foul and was ejected, Chriss received a technical and was ejected and Mitchell and Ingles received technicals but stayed in the game.

Because Dudley initiated the conflict and Chriss escalated it, it’s possible both players could be suspended by the NBA.

“I can understand why Marquese got ejected,” interim coach Jay Triano said. “That’s the only one, though. If you’re going to eject anybody else, Ingles ran into instigate it as much as anyone and Mitchell. They were in there escalating rather than diffusing more than anybody.”

Dudley told azcentral sports that he thought Chriss got fouled on the play – Triano made the same argument – and that when the Jazz started up court and Chriss was still on the floor, he shoved Rubio in order to stop Utah from having a 5-on-4 advantage.

“The ref gave them the ball so fast out of bounds when Marquese was laying down, so I was trying to, which I always do a lot, try to stop a fast break,” he said. “Now, did I throw a little extra push in there? For sure. But he sold it good. I think it could have been a flagrant 1.

“I don’t think it’s anything more than that. I think it just escalated when Marquese bumped him and he fell down. I think if he doesn’t do that I think it would have been a regular flagrant and move on.”

Dudley said he didn’t think he would be suspended because he didn’t hit Rubio in the face. Chriss was unavailable for comment.

Devin Booker, who suffered through a 3-for-18 shooting night while playing with a right hand contusion, said he believed the constant losing and long season finally got the best of the Suns’ emotions.

“There should be frustration,” Booker said.

Utah’s Donovan Mitchell called the shoves by Dudley and Chriss “cheap shots.”

“It was cheap,” he said. “It’s crazy how just because you’re all down by 25.”

The game itself was no different than most of the Suns’ losses this season. Utah’s Rudy Gobert dominated inside with 21 points and 13 rebounds, Phoenix only had three players in double figures – T.J. Warren (19), Josh Jackson (17) and Booker (12) – and the Suns had eight more turnovers (22) than they did assists (14).

“I think we competed for big chunks of the game, but if you don’t compete for all 48 of if you lose your focus a little bit they’re going to make you pay,” Triano said.

And now, the Suns will wait to hear from the league office.

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