PHOENIX — The scheduling gods had some fun with this one.
Phoenix at Utah to end the regular season — two teams vying for home-court advantage in the Western Conference playoffs. So which team has the advantage?
The Jazz won the first two matchups of the season — one in Utah, one at Phoenix — but then the Suns won the most recent game, an extremely physical game March 19 in Phoenix (Amar’e Stoudemire scored 44 points that night).
But Suns coach Alvin Gentry knows all too well how talented the Jazz is — especially at Energy Solutions, where Utah is 32-8, the third-best home record in the conference.
“They probably execute as well as any team in the NBA, and they’re as physical as any team in the NBA,” Gentry said before Tuesday’s Nuggets-Suns game. “They just take on the personality of their coach — they grind it out.
“Obviously, they have one of the best point guards in the NBA in Deron Williams; Carlos Boozer is playing like an all- star, and they’ve had other guys step it up — Wes Matthews, nobody really talks about him as a rookie, and he’s had a great year.”
Indeed, Matthews averages 9.3 points per game off the bench.
Graham out again.
Nuggets reserve Joey Graham didn’t play Tuesday because of a left ankle sprain, his third consecutive game on the sideline. But Graham said he’s confident that the days off before the playoffs, which could begin Saturday or Sunday, will give him enough time to heal before Game 1.
Graham averages 4.2 points off the bench and can provide aggressive defense against perimeter and low-post players.
Benjamin Hochman, The Denver Post
