The 11th consecutive win for the Utah Jazz wasn’t easy. In fact, it was downright ugly for most of the time.

But in the end, on a Valentine’s Wednesday night, the Jazz gifted a sellout crowd at Vivint Smart Home Arena a 107-97 win over the Phoenix Suns.

The Jazz struggled for large stretches against one of the worst teams in the NBA. They surrendered a triple-double to point guard Elfrid Payton. They allowed Devin Booker to go off for 28 points. They gave up easy baskets in transition. Frankly, they looked tired.

But they’ve become the hottest team in the NBA because they’ve become accustomed to making all the right plays when it matters, and on Wednesday night they did that.

Donovan Mitchell’s clutch 3-pointer with 56.2 seconds remaining gave the Jazz a 105-97 advantage. Jae Crowder made several big fourth-quarter plays and the big man tandem of Rudy Gobert and Derrick Favors was dominant throughout.

The Jazz move to 30-28 on the season, and extend their longest win streak since 2009. They put six players in double figures and go into the Aall-Star break with a postseason berth still in sight.

Mitchell led the Jazz with 24 points, seven assists and four rebounds. Rookie guard Royce O’Neale scored a career-high 19 points.

This story will be updated.

Comments