Today was an awful day to try to focus on basketball. You inundated with news about the Connecticut shooting from all over, and I want this space to provide an escape, if you need it. But if you haven't yet, I highly recommend reading the column my beat rival, and friend, Jody Genessy wrote for the Deseret News. Like many of you, Jody has kids. He has a daughter in kindergarten.
The news stories and images were harrowing, and left most of us turned upside down for most of the day. That includes the Jazz. They spoke before the game of making calls to their own young children, even though the young Foyes and Williamses and others could not comprehend what was going on in the world around them.
Anyhow, there was a game tonight, and the Jazz continued to flounder on the road. A few quick notes before we turn the lights out at US Airways Center...
• Derrick Favors and Ty Corbin were called for technical fouls in the fourth quarter on back-to-back plays. Corbin said he didn't think the Jazz lost their poise, but it's impossible to look at the technicals and not see that they correlated to the game turning into a blowout. Already up 7, the Suns went on a 12-2 run to a 91-74 lead.
Corbin seemed to take umbrage when asked about the technicals.
"I don't think the technical had anything to do with us losing our poise. One technical they called on Derrick. I thought the guy hit him, he was stepping back and the guy called a tech. The one they called on me I was just telling them about what I thought I saw on the first tech and he decided to call another one. I don't think that stopped our poise at all. I was just explaining, they decided to call a tech on me."
• Gordon Hayward had his second 0-fer night of the season, shooting 0-for-5. He also failed to make a basket against Orlando earlier this month.
• Before this week, Phoenix had not beaten a team with a winning record. Then they toppled Memphis and the Jazz back-to-back.
• The Grizzlies lost 99-94 in Denver and, like the Jazz, will enter Saturday's matchup seeking redemption. The Grizzlies have have now lost three in a row, half of all their losses.
That's all from Phoenix. Tomorrow I hope we can talk solely about basketball.
— Bill Oram
