The Phoenix Suns outlasted the Utah Jazz in an overtime thriller, 117-113, on the shoulders of clutch playmaking from All-Stars Devin Booker and Chris Paul. But ask Jazz stars Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell, and they'll tell you the game wasn't decided in overtime. It happened in the 4th quarter when the Jazz couldn't secure the necessary rebounds that would've iced the game for the Western Conference's top speed.
Rudy Gobert, on the rebounds: "Those hurt us, especially when we played good defense, we forced a miss … those guys are pretty good — when you give them extra possessions, they’re gonna make the most of it."
— Eric Walden (@tribjazz) April 8, 2021
Gobert was referring to all the second-chance opportunities the Suns got on the back of DeAndre Ayton securing several offensive rebounds in the fourth quarter. The Suns center managed to secure three offensive rebounds on a single possession deep in the fourth, with the last one coming in the form of a tip-in.
In a game as tightly contested as the one the Suns and the Jazz played, extra possessions can be the difference in winning or losing the game.
Mitchell echoed his teammate's sentiments, adding that this is the type of game that the Jazz can expect once the playoffs start.
Donovan Mitchell: "That was playoff basketball. We’re not always gonna have 60-point halves. … We were a few rebounds away from winning."
— Eric Walden (@tribjazz) April 8, 2021
The Jazz still had plenty of chances to win the game. Mitchell hit a game-tying three with 10.4 seconds left in the 4th quarter to force overtime.
Donovan Mitchell ICE IN THE VEINS 💦https://t.co/KALDnBfmmj
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsApp) April 8, 2021
They were also down just three with 10.6 seconds left in said OT period. But the Suns smartly gave up a foul before Mitchell could attempt a three, and the Spida only managed to drain one of two free throws to give the Suns the cushion they needed to secure the game.
It was a tough loss for the Jazz, for sure. But it's better to lose these types of games now rather than lose them when the stakes are higher in the playoffs.