Jazz Road Struggles Continue Against Grizzlies
Nov 29, 2023, 9:22 PM | Updated: Dec 4, 2023, 10:06 am
SALT LAKE CITY – The Utah Jazz suffered another difficult road loss falling to the Memphis Grizzlies 105-91.
Only three Jazz players scored in double-figures, led by John Collins 17 points.
Six Grizzlies reached the double-digit mark, led by Jaren Jackson Jr. 20 point night.
Are Jazz The NBA’s Worst Road Team?
The Grizzlies win over the Jazz snapped their eight-game home losing streak, leading to a standing ovation from the Memphis crowd.
Though the Jazz lost by only 14, they trailed by as many as 23 points in the fourth quarter before a 10-0 run nearly halved the deficit in garbage time.
It’s the same script as the Jazz’s last road loss in Portland when they trailed by 32 in the fourth quarter, only to lose by 16 after a late, superfluous run.
Those runs have helped the Jazz avoid the league’s worst net rating on the road, a distinction that currently belongs to the San Antonio Spurs, but it doesn’t mean much for their overall record.
“We’ve got to face the fact that on the road, our intensity, our physicality, and our how connected we are has really got to take a big step forward,” Jazz coach Will Hardy said after the loss.
The lights went out in FedEx Forum as the Jazz played the Grizzlies 😂#NBA #TakeNote #BackToTheGrind https://t.co/gcmRG3axif
— KSL Sports (@kslsports) November 30, 2023
The team now sits at 1-8 on the season when playing away from Salt Lake City, with their lone win coming in Memphis earlier this month when they held on to a 127-121 victory despite blowing a 20-point lead in the fourth quarter.
The Houston Rockets are the league’s only winless team away from home, exiting Wednesday night’s schedule 0-7 away from home. After falling in Memphis, the Jazz’s 1-8 road record is tied with the Chicago Bulls and the Detroit Pistons for the second-fewest road wins this season.
The Jazz aren’t the worst team in the NBA this season, that distinction belongs to one of the Grizzlies, the Pistons, the San Antonio Spurs, or the Washington Wizards. \
Unfortunately for the Jazz, the Grizzlies, Spurs, and Wizards each have more road wins early in the year.
Talen Horton-Tucker In Career-Worst Shooting Slump
It clearly has not been the season Talen Horton-Tucker was hoping for after being named to the Jazz’s starting lineup to open the year.
The guard struggled with turnovers during his tenure as a starter, only to get replaced in the opening lineup nine games into the season.
Unfortunately, his move to the bench has done little to stabilize his contributions where he’s hit a career-worst lull as a shooter.
Talen went top shelf where only the big fella could get it 🤠#TakeNote pic.twitter.com/QteDm9mtZn
— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) November 30, 2023
Over his last five games, Horton-Tucker is shooting just 8-40 from the floor, including 2-18 from three, marking the least efficient five-game stretch of his career.
After his 2-12 performance in Memphis, the Jazz guard is the first NBA player this season to have eight or fewer makes on 40 or more attempts over a five-game span, and is only the third player in Jazz history (Ricky Rubio, Bryon Russell) to achieve the feat.
The 23-year-old isn’t the only Jazz guard struggling with efficiency as Jordan Clarkson, Keyonte George, and Collin Sexton combined to shoot just 9-26 against the Grizzlies, but Horon-Tucker’s difficulties have been particularly pronounced as of late, and he’s overdue for a strong shooting night.
Nightly Awards: Jazz vs. Grizzlies
The “Out Of Context Box Score” Award:
Goes to Walker Kessler who finished the night with nine points, eight rebounds, and a season-high six blocks on the night.
Kessler’s six blocks make it seem like he had a stronger impact on the game than he did via the eye test.
Four of the center’s blocks came in the final seven minutes of the fourth quarter when the game had already been decided.
On the flip side, Grizzlies All-Star Jaren Jackson Jr. also recorded six blocks on the evening but was far more impactful as he helped hold the Jazz to just 18-44 shooting in the paint, including 11-26 at the rim.
Utah Jazz Next Broadcast
The Jazz will face the Timberwolves on Thursday at 6 pm MST in Minnesota. The game will be televised on KJZZ, streamed on Jazz+, and can be heard on 97.5 The KSL Sports Zone.
Are you on Threads yet? Let’s connect, give us a follow @kslsports.
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.
