Phoenix, Ariz. — Utah Jazz head coach Will Hardy didn’t mince words after his team’s disappointing 118–96 loss to the Phoenix Suns on Friday night, calling the performance “pathetic” and questioning his players’ hunger and professionalism.
The loss — Utah’s first in NBA Cup group play — was defined by a disastrous opening quarter that saw the Jazz fall behind by 20 points and never fully recover.
“Our Effort Was Pathetic”
“Our effort and intensity to start the game was pathetic,” Hardy said postgame. “We didn’t have enough humility or hunger as a team.”
Phoenix closed the first quarter on a 20–2 run, building a lead that ballooned to double digits for the rest of the night. Despite some better play in the second half, Hardy said the game was effectively over in the first 12 minutes.
“The game was decided in the first quarter,” he added bluntly.
Accountability Through Lineup Changes
Hardy sent a message to his young roster by dramatically altering his rotation. Rookies Taylor Hendricks and Brice Sensabaugh were benched for the entire second half, while Kyle Filipowski and Walt Clayton Jr. saw only brief minutes in the fourth quarter.
“When you sub in, you have to meet the level of the game,” Hardy said. “You’re merging onto the highway — you can’t do it at 25 miles an hour.”
Instead, Hardy turned to veterans and defensive specialists to re-establish energy and discipline. Kyle Anderson, making his Jazz debut, logged 8 points and 3 assists in 25 minutes. Two-way forward Elijah Harkless earned extended run, playing 12 high-energy minutes in the second half.
At one point, Hardy even fielded a makeshift lineup featuring Anderson, Harkless, Jusuf Nurkic, Ace Bailey, and Svi Mykhailiuk — a clear signal that effort, not experience, was the night’s priority.
“I will poke and prod and sub and flip the team upside down until I find people that want to play hard,” Hardy warned.
Bright Spots in a Blowout
Despite the loss, Lauri Markkanen continued his dominant stretch, scoring 33 points on 10-of-20 shooting — his fourth straight game with at least 30. Rookie guard Keyonte George added 17 points, 9 assists, and was +3 in his 33 minutes, one of the few positives in an otherwise lopsided game.
“I think for most of the second, third, and fourth quarters, we played good basketball,” Hardy said. “Just not good enough to make up for how we started.”
Hardy on Development vs. Winning
Hardy pushed back on the idea that a young team like the Jazz can simply “develop” without accountability.
“The word ‘development’ gets misused,” he said. “We’re not just here to get better every day. Every game day, we turn in a group project — and when you step on the floor, you compete to win.”
Friday’s “project,” as Hardy put it, received a failing grade. The Jazz will now have to regroup quickly as they continue their road stretch and try to rediscover the energy that fueled their opening-night blowout win.
