This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2017, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

Phoenix • On Monday night, a young Phoenix Suns team gave the Utah Jazz all they could handle for 47 minutes.

Using youth and athleticism, the Suns built a double-digit lead. They got out and scored in transition. Eric Bledsoe and Devin Booker hit seemingly impossible shots from all over the court, and a home win over Utah seemed very possible.

Then, a Phoenix Suns player of yesteryear stole the game for the Jazz.

Joe Johnson's clutch 3-pointer with 49.8 seconds remaining, and one second left on the shot clock, gave the Jazz a lead in the final minute and propelled them to a 106-101 road win over the Suns. Down 101-99 before 16,767 at Talking Stick Resort Arena, Utah scored the final seven points of the game, on the way to its fourth consecutive win.

The Jazz allowed just two points in the final two minutes.

"That's what Joe does," Phoenix coach Earl Watson said. "He's been doing it his entire career, hitting big shots. That's why they brought him to Utah. I thought we did well defending that last possession, we rotated, we ran guys off the three. Even when Joe caught it, PJ (Tucker) was right there. Tough fadeaway."

In many ways, the Jazz stole a game they perhaps had no business winning. Utah led only twice in the second half. The Jazz tailed by double digits in the third quarter. Bledsoe was dominant with 31 points, nine rebounds and nine assists. Booker wasn't far behind him, scoring 25 points, as the Suns gave the Jazz problems all night with their speed and ability to shoot the ball.

But Utah's gone from a young and callow team to an experienced one. And the Jazz — even when their vaunted defense had trouble getting stops — never lost confidence. They always believed they were going to win the game.

"I remember when we were down by double digits, I turned to Shelvin [Mack] on the bench and told him that we were going to win," Johnson said. "I didn't know how we were going to win. I didn't know what manner, but I always thought we were going to be fine."

What the Jazz did was chip away at the lead, a possession at a time. And they were able to get contributions up and down the roster. With Gordon Hayward (17 points) struggling with his shot, Joe Ingles scored all 11 of his points in the third quarter. With George Hill shooting 7 of 18 from the field, Johnson scored 15 points off the bench on 5-of-9 shooting.

Rudy Gobert was the constant for the Jazz on Monday night, a dominant figure on both ends throughout. Serving as the one piece Phoenix didn't have an answer for, Gobert scored 18 points and grabbed 17 rebounds. He blocked four shots, and that included a huge denial of Phoenix forward Marquese Chriss in the waning seconds when the Suns were down 104-101 and badly needed a basket. Gobert's presence in the middle eventually wore down a Suns team without Tyson Chandler, their best rebounder and interior defender.

Ultimately, the Jazz in the last five minutes simply looked like a team with the know-how to close the game out. And that proved to be the difference.

"I think it's experience that's helping us out," Hayward said. "We've been in these situations before. I think some of the guys we added to the roster, it's a combination of both of those things. Boris [Diaw] and Joe, they were huge for us tonight. It's one of the reasons we are who we are right now."

The Jazz put seven players in double-figures, including their entire starting five. With the Suns going small for much of the game, Utah was able to dominate Phoenix on the interior. The Jazz scored 22 second-chance points, while the Suns countered with six. And while Phoenix scored 80 points through three quarters, Utah held the Suns to 21 points in the all-important fourth quarter.

As a result, the Jazz were able to win their fourth straight.

"We couldn't get any stops down the stretch," Bledsoe said. "I didn't think they were supposed to be in the game. But they made a run. They did what playoff teams do."

Twitter: @tribjazz