• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers
• Game Tracker

Dudley, Suns defeat Jazz

Dec 15, 2012 - 5:39 AM Phoenix, AZ (Sports Network) - Jared Dudley totaled a season-high 22 points and Marcin Gortat tallied 12 points and 14 rebounds, as the Phoenix Suns pulled away in the final quarter for a 99-84 win over the Utah Jazz.

Goran Dragic chipped in 17 points, as the Suns, building off an 82-80 win over Memphis two nights prior, captured back-to-back contests for the first time since Nov. 21-23.

Al Jefferson had 14 points and 11 rebounds for Utah, which had a season- high four-game winning streak snapped.

A jumper from Derrick Favors had the visitors within 79-72 less than two minutes into the fourth quarter, but the Suns scored the ensuing six points, finished by P.J. Tucker's layup. The lead reached as high as 21 in the waning minutes.

Although the Suns allowed the Jazz to shoot 52.6 percent in the first quarter, Phoenix didn't turn the ball over once in the period and took a 12-point lead after 12 minutes. The Suns used a 16-4 burst to conclude the stanza and were up double digits the entire second quarter.

"Anytime you have a lead you can get away with a little bit more," Dragic said. "Defensively you can gamble a little bit. Offensively you get your shots a little more free. You know, we earned it, defensively we got after them early on and we trapped the post."

Behind 56-42 at the half, the Jazz trimmed the deficit to 65-61 with 4:02 left in the third following a layup from Paul Millsap. Phoenix responded with a 10-2 push and gained a 77-65 cushion moving to the fourth.

"We didn't come with a sense of urgency in the first quarter," Millsap said. "They got out to a big league and when you're on the road teams like that are going to try to keep a big league. It was kind of tough fighting uphill and we just couldn't get over the hump."

Game Notes

Utah has lost four straight at Phoenix ... Michael Beasley had 11 points and Tucker 10 for the Suns ... This is the first time the Suns have had consecutive wins against teams with winning records since March 8-10 last season.