While the eyes of the basketball world were trained on nationally televised prime-time matchups featuring four of the NBA's highest-profile teams, a barn-burner of a battle with playoff implications of its own was going down in Salt Lake City. After 20 lead changes, 10 ties and 48 pressure-packed minutes, the Utah Jazz came up less than a half-second short, thanks in large part to the late-game brilliance of a certain Canuck.
Steve Nash wasn't an eye-popping marvel on Wednesday night — he scored 13 points on nine shots and dished nine assists with four turnovers in 32 minutes of play — but he was nails when it counted. The two-time league MVP calmly canned a pair of tough jumpers in the final 15 seconds of a nip-and-tuck fight with the Jazz, putting pressure on Tyrone Corbin's young team to match in perhaps their season's biggest moment. After offering multiple answers late, Utah came up just short in the final seconds.
A corner 3-pointer from swingman C.J. Miles (who'd had a strong night, pouring in 22 points on 17 shots) missed rim, and while Jazz star Paul Millsap (who was predictably brilliant, leading Utah with 25 points, eight rebounds, six assists, three steals and two blocks) was able to corral the miss, his follow attempt went up and in just after the red light had come on. Because Nash was on time and on the money while the Jazz were a split-second late and a few cents short, the Phoenix Suns snared a well-earned 107-105 win that shakes up the lower portion of the Western Conference playoff race.
The win was Phoenix's third straight, fifth in seven games and fourth in their last five road contests, and it vaults the 28-26 Suns ahead of Utah (28-27) into sole possession of ninth place in the Western Conference.
Suddenly, the Suns — who looked destined for the lottery with a 14-20 mark at the All-Star break — are just a game back of the Houston Rockets and Denver Nuggets, locked in a tie for the seventh seed and occupying the West's last two playoff spots. Phoenix plays at Denver, fresh off a bad loss to the New Orleans Hornets, in a huge game on Friday.
Video of the wild finish via the great memoismoney.
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