Blog: Jazz Beat Grizzlies For First Road Win
Nov 10, 2023, 8:34 PM | Updated: Nov 13, 2023, 3:33 pm
SALT LAKE CITY – The Utah Jazz won their first road game and their first In-Season Tournament game with a 127-121 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies.
Lauri Markkanen and Jordan Clarkson each scored 26 points to lead the Jazz.
Desmond Bane led all scorers with 37.
First Quarter
The Jazz give up an easy 7-0 run to open the game off turnovers and Grizzlies drives to the basket.
Tough start for John Collins who committed two turnovers and blew a switch to give Desmond Bane a wide-open mid-range jumper.
Four minutes into the game the Jazz had more turnovers (3) than field goals (2).
Jazz looking sharp early in their In-Season Tournament debut 👀#TakeNote #NBA https://t.co/YC35HwON4L
— KSL Sports (@kslsports) November 11, 2023
Collin Sexton subs in and gives the Jazz a boost midway through the first quarter fueling an 8-0 run to tie the game at 19.
Six Jazz players scored at least five points each in the first quarter, led by Sexton and Talen Horton-Tucker who had six points each.
After one the Jazz led the Grizzlies 34-32.
Second Quarter
The Jazscoredre on the first six possessions of the second quarter including four made threes to build a 50-36 lead.
The Grizzlies responded with an 11-3 run to trim their deficit to just seven midway through the second quarter as the Jazz defense gave up repeated drive and kick opportunities.
Teams have abused the Jazz where it’s clear nobody is communicating on defense about who is expected to step up and defend the shooter on a screen leading to wide-open looks.
Markkanen and THT led the Jazz in scoring in the first half 💪#TakeNote https://t.co/WaK6IpCWSP
— KSL Sports (@kslsports) November 11, 2023
Ochai Agbaji had a much better second start in Memphis scoring ten points and grabbing two rebounds in the first half.
George had seven assists and zero turnovers in the first half despite missing all four of his field goal attempts.
At the break, the Jazz led the Grizzlies 76-63, led by Lauri Markkanen’s 14 points.
Third Quarter
Collins had his first signature dunk on a Jazz uniform throwing an alley-oop dunk down on Bismack Biyombo off the alley-oop from Keyonte George.
The Grizzlies are purely dysfunctional when they aren’t making shots. They routinely blew not only easy defensive rotations but straight-up man-to-man possessions where non-ballhandlers drove right past them for easy dunks.
JOHN COLLINS OH MY 🤯#TakeNote https://t.co/XBSaVN9U5M
— KSL Sports (@kslsports) November 11, 2023
A clearly frustrated Jaren Jackson Jr. was ejected with 4:30 left in the third after officials missed an obvious foul under the hoop on the second straight possession.
The Jazz built a 21 point lead in the wake of thGrizzlies’es frustration.
However, the Grizzlies closed the third on a 15-2 run and trailed by 103-95 heading into the fourth quarter.
Fourth Quarter
The Grizzlies trimmed the lead to three with nine minutes left in the game off of a Desmond Bane three and a Marcus Smart jumper, part of a 24-4 run.
George made his first bucket after the Grizzlies tied the game at 111 to regain a three-point lead.
Marcus Smart fouled out with 5:49 left to play after a loose ball foul against Markkanen.
The Grizzlies had several opportunities to take the lead but never capitalized on their opportunities.
JordaClarkson’son one-man 5-0 run locked up the game for the Jazz who won their first road game of the season in Memphis.
The Jazz beat the Grizzlies 127-121.
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Ben Anderson is the Utah Jazz insider for KSL Sports and the co-host of Jake and Ben from 10-12p with Jake Scott on 97.5 The KSL Sports Zone. Find Ben on Twitter at @BensHoops or on Instagram @BensHoops.
