Collier's night spoiled after Suns hit 2 3s in final seconds to steal OT win

PHOENIX — It looked to be Isaiah Collier's shining moment.

The rookie point guard, who had already set a Jazz rookie record in the game, went isolation as the final seconds ticked down.

He spun on Grayson Allen, leaned back and drilled a free-throw line jumper to finish off a 22-5 run to put Utah up by 4 with 4.7 seconds remaining in regulation.

Collier flexed as he walked back down the court in celebration, likely assuming — like most everyone else — he had just won the game.

But no one told that to Allen.

The former Jazz draftee hit two 3-pointers in the final seconds — including one at the buzzer — to send the game to overtime, where Phoenix pulled away to win 135-127 Friday at Footprint Center.

"We gave up two catch-and-shoots on poor switching," Jazz coach Will Hardy said. "And if we had executed one of those switches properly, the game is a different result, but the issues are still the same."

If anything, a win would have only masked the real problem: The Jazz's defense on Devin Booker.

The Suns were without Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal on Friday, putting even more of a load on Booker. Yet, he finished with 47 points on 18-of-33 shooting and had 11 assists.

That performance — not Allen's triples — is what weighed on Hardy's mind after the game.

"Tonight's game has nothing to do with the last four-and-a-half seconds," Hardy said. "It has to do with the fact that we did not direct Devin Booker ever in an isolation. He went away from the help 75% of the time tonight, and then we got caught in rotations because of it.

"So regardless of whether one of those switches got executed properly or not, the issue leaving the gym tonight would still be the same that our isolation defense and the ability to direct the ball is not very good right now."

And that all spoiled a big night from Collier. The Jazz rookie finished with 15 points and 13 assists, setting a Jazz rookie record with 10 assists in the first half, and then showed off some scoring chops late.

Collier had a driving layup, a nice floater and the tough midrange pull-up during Utah's end-of-game run to erase Phoenix's 13-point fourth-quarter lead.

"I thought Isaiah was terrific," Hardy said. "He had 13 assists, and in my mind, he probably had 20. His pace, his decision-making has been fantastic, his speed in transition, the force he puts on the paint — he's getting better and better."

His feel for the game was evident in the first half as he racked up assist after assist. He hit Lauri Markkanen with a transition pass that led to a dunk and then found him on a long-range alley-oop. He got John Collins an open 3-pointer on a bounce pass off a pick-and-pop and led Kyle Filipwoski to the basket on a nice pocket pass.

In short, he was in his passing bag.

"I think my confidence is at an all-time high right now, especially just playing along some of the best players in the world," Collier said.

It was his third straight game with double-digit assists and he's averaging 9.0 assists in the nine games since taking over the starting point guard role. He's also been shooting over 50% (however, his 3-point numbers are still in the teens) during that stretch.

So what's the next step for the rookie guard?

"A whole lot," he said. "We've got to win and finish games. … For us right now, it's the defensive end. I feel like I could be better on defense."

Hardy agreed.

"He needs to continue his emphasis guarding the ball defensively," Hardy said. "There are times he gets a little bit lazy with his feet and reaches. There are times where his pickup points aren't quite where they need to be, but he's also learning the type of shape it takes to play this many minutes, have that much responsibility on the offensive side, and then have to be able to guard on the other end.

"So in a lot of ways, I'm not upset with where he is right now. I think he's gotten a lot better this season, but those areas are the focal points right now."

For him and the team as a whole.

Points that had little to do with the botched switches at the end of regulation.

"Yes, those two plays, the switches need to be executed, and now we're on to the next point," Hardy said. "I can kick and scream and say, 'That's what winning teams do and blah, blah, blah' — no, winning teams direct the ball for 46 minutes, so the end doesn't matter."

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