Carlos Boozer also scored 21 points and added 20 rebounds for the Jazz, who ran away from the Suns with a 33-point fourth quarter.
“It was almost like bait… we kind of fell into their trap for the first three quarters,” Matthews told reporters after his breakout performance.
“I love this. I have never been the type to back down from anything and I think that’s what’s got me to where I am.”
Matthews has been used sporadically of late but came through when the Jazz needed him.
On the other side, Goran Dragic tallied a career-high 32 points to help Phoenix forge a 106-102 lead in the final quarter before Utah seized the momentum with a 17-3 run.
Utah (26-18) were fueled by the EnergySolutions crowd and won their sixth straight home contest to move a full game ahead of the Suns (26-20) in the competitive Western Conference.
By contrast, Phoenix have lost six of their last eight games and been particularly poor on the road, amassing a woeful 1-12 record since Nov. 29.
The NBA’s top scoring team has had trouble defending, keeping just one opponent under 100 points this month.
Despite the struggles, All-Star point guard Steve Nash reached a milestone with his 8,000th assist becoming just the eighth player in league history to reach the mark.
He finished with 15 points and 15 assists on the night while Channing Frye scored 21 for Phoenix.
