The Utah Jazz toppled the Phoenix Suns to go undefeated in the Summer League.
The Utah Jazz walked into the Friday night game against the Phoenix Suns needing a win to all but guarantee a spot in the Summer League playoffs. The Jazz, who were 3-0 heading into the game, stumbled earlier. Heading into the fourth quarter down, the Jazz were able to rally and down the Suns.
All without three of their key rookies, as Keyonte George joined his fellow 2023 NBA Draft class-mates on the injured list. Yet, without George, the Jazz were still able to muster a win over the Suns, with Luka Samanic upping his game in 27 minutes of play. And while Samanic has been arguably the most reliable player all Summer League long, props have to go to Colbey Ross who played wonderfully in relief for the Jazz for their final Summer League encounter.
Yet, another major name who stepped up big was Johnny Juzang, who stepped up in the final non-playoff game as well.
But, did these three men make the Top 3 from the last Summer League game before the playoffs?
Colbey Ross
Colbey Ross had a quiet day offensively, going just 3-7 from the floor, but putting up 10 points, three rebounds, four assists, and two steals, and having a box plus-minus of +16. Ross’s defense was very valuable to the team making a comeback against the Suns late in the fourth quarter.
Luka Samanic
Luka Samanic may be the team’s MVP throughout the Summer League, as he’s been consistent throughout all four games, and was relied upon more when Keyonte George went down with an injury. Samanic had a nice stat line of 22 points, six rebounds, and four assists while racking up a steal and two blocks as well. All doing it on 8-15 shooting from the floor, and 4-8 from three.
Johnny Juzang
Johnny Juzang played well when given reps, and as he tries to earn a spot on the team heading into the regular season, his 24-point performance will certainly help him. His three-point shooting wasn’t great, just 3-9, but he shot an overall 7-16 from the floor, with an additional 7-10 from the free-throw line.