The Jazz massively overachieved in their first two outings of the NBA Season; they return to Salt Lake City to carry the same energy. Phoenix has started the season with a 1-2 record — largely due to their horrific defense. They’ve allowed the sixth-most points per game in the league at 126 a game.
It’s been a different story for the home team, the Jazz, who’ve only allowed 107.5 in their small sample size. Taylor Hendricks’ presence was noticed, and the defensive leap from players like Keyonte George has certainly contributed to that.
That should change, though, due to the Suns’ fast-paced, heavy offense. This season, the Jazz have given up 38.5 3-point attempts per game, which is the 13th-highest in the NBA, while opponents are making 14 attempts per game. So far this season, they’ve seen Malik Monk (6), Zach LaVine (4), and Brook Lopez (5) all catch fire from deep, and there’s no reason to doubt that Brooks will fall into that group.
The million-dollar question tonight: What version will we see of Ace Bailey? The 5th pick lit it up during the preseason, averaging 16 points, 4.7 rebounds and 1.7 steals on 58.8% FG, 41.7% 3P shooting splits. But the first two regular-season games of Bailey’s NBA career have been an entirely different story. He only scored 2 points during his debut and recorded a bold zero on the road in Sacramento. However, Ace attributes this to an undisclosed illness in his post-game press conferences. But once he gets it going, he’s going to make the talkers eat their words. It’s only a matter of when.
**_Utah_**:
**OUT** - Isaiah Collier (Right Hamstring Strain)
**OUT** - Georges Niang (Left Foot, Fourth Metatarsal Stress Reaction)
**_Phoenix_**:
**QUESTIONABLE** - Dillon Brooks (Right Groin Soreness)
**OUT** - Jalen Green (Right Hamstring Strain)
Who: Utah Jazz vs. Phoenix Suns
When: Monday at 7 p.m. MDT
Where: Delta Center, Salt Lake City, UTA
Wearing: Jazz (Purple Icon), Suns (White Association)
See More:
* [Jazz Game Preview](/jazz-game-previews)
* [Utah Jazz Game Coverage](/utah-jazz-game-coverage)