Memphis Grizzlies

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Ryan Kostecka

After picking up back-to-back wins over the Pelicans over the last few days, the Jazz headed to Memphis with good vibes after already beating the Grizzlies twice this season.&nbsp;

Falling behind by double digits in the second quarter, Utah struggled to get back into the game and eventually fell 105-91 on Wednesday night.&nbsp;

“First off all, credit to Memphis. … They played really hard,” head coach Will Hardy said. “We’ve got to face the fact that on the road, our intensity, our physicality, how connected we are has got to take a big step forward.”

It was an odd game for the Jazz as they shot the ball well from behind the arc, outshooting the Grizzlies by finishing 16-of-39 (41%). But Utah struggled everywhere else, shooting just 10-of-24 (41.7%) from within three feet of the rim.

Those shooting struggles weren't apparent in the opening minutes, as the Jazz looked good on both ends of the court.

A quick five points by Keyonte George and John Collins helped Utah jump out to an early 15-7 lead. However, a 15-4 run gave the Grizzlies a three-point lead — but the Jazz answered with threes by Kelly Olynyk and Ochai Agbaji to take a one-point lead at the end of the first quarter.&nbsp;

The Grizzlies then erupted in the second quarter, outscoring Utah 36-17 and forcing them to play catch-up the rest of the way.&nbsp;

“Obviously we really really struggled from two-point range, particularly in the paint. … You couple that with 18 turnovers and it’s hard,” Hardy said. “The frustrating part is that the first 4-to-5 minutes of the game, we showed how we wanted to play. It didn’t matter who was were. … Our spacing was clean, the ball was moving around very crisply and we were getting open looks.”

“Then we reverted back to some old habits.”

One of the few bright spots on the night was the play of Collins, particularly in the first half.&nbsp;

Combining his athleticism around the rim and ability to knock down shots from deep, he single handedly kept Utah alive with 15 points in the opening 24 minutes. He finished the game with 17 points and four rebounds, shooting 7-of-14 from the field and 3-of-5 from three.&nbsp;

Simone Fontecchio also continued his strong play of late, finishing in double figures for the third straight game (all starts) and four of his last five.&nbsp;

After going scoreless in the first half, he erupted in the third quarter by knocking down four threes as the Jazz attempted to climb back into the game. He finished with 12 points (4-of-8 from three), four rebounds, and four assists.

Fontecchio is shooting 41.9% from deep on the season, giving the Jazz a nice spark that really helps spread defenses out. When combined with his physicality on the defensive end, it’s clear he’s made the most of his opportunity with Lauri Markkanen out with a hamstring injury.&nbsp;

“His effort kind of rubs off on everybody,” Hardy said of Fontecchio two nights ago. “He's flying around out there, I'm really happy for him…. He's showing us every day that he's capable of giving us more."

More good news is that Utah never stopped fighting, cutting the deficit to 13 with 2:03 left to play following a 10-0 run. Collin Sexton and Luka Samanic accounted for five points each during the run.&nbsp;

Utah had a chance to cut into that deficit even more when Walker Kessler appeared to block Jaren Jackson Jr. at the rim. But officials called a foul on Kessler — all while Jackson grabbed his miss and put it back in. After challenging the call, it was determined that Kessler didn't foul Jackson, but the bucket still counted despite officials blowing the play dead.&nbsp;

“Breaking habits or forming new ones is hard,” Hardy said. “It takes an extreme amount of focus, especially when you’re not playing in your gym. I think our team is continuing to improve, the trend is going in the right direction. … But tonight there were large chunks of the game where it was a setback for us.”

Kessler finished with a near triple-double, posting nine points, seven rebounds, and six blocks in 27 minutes. Jordan Clarkson added 12 points, five assists, and four rebounds.

The Jazz will be able to move on quickly when they face former Jazzmen Rudy Gobert and Mike Conley tomorrow. Utah travels to Minnesota to face the top-seeded Timberwolves on Thursday, with tipoff set for 6 p.m. MT.

“Most of it for me comes back to are we going to trust to continue to do the things that are working and not get bored of making the simple play over and over even if that means we don’t get to shoot for a little bit, “Hardy said. “That’s how we are built as a team. … When we’ve played our best basketball this season, it’s never been about one person. It’s about everybody taking what the game gives them, respecting our spacing, and understanding what their job is on each possession.”

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"Got to Take a Big Step Forward" — Despite Hot Start, Jazz Fall to Memphis on Wednesday

Jeremy Rincon

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Highlights: John Collins – 17 points, 4 rebounds, 3 3PM

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Highlights: Jazz 91 | Grizzlies 105

What a way to begin the In-Season Tournament.

After building a 21-point lead in the third quarter, the Jazz saw the Grizzlies claw back to make it a one-score game late in the fourth. But Jordan Clarkson caught fire on offense, and the defense rose to the occasion as Utah pulled out the 127-121 victory.

“I’m really, first and foremost, just happy and proud of the team,” head coach Will Hardy said. “It’s been a tough stretch. … And they’ve maintained their work ethic, their composure as a group. They’ve stuck together and just come to work every day.”

"The energy was here," Clarkson added postgame. "Definitely wanted to get a win going home… We kept competing, kept our composure. We slowed the game down a little bit and got to where we wanted to be."

Here are five things to know following the win.

1.) In-Season Tournament TimeThere were definite questions when the In-Season Tournament was announced on July 8. How would this new format be received by the players? Would they treat it like a postseason game? Or was it going to be seen as a gimmick?

While the early returns from the rest of the NBA were positive last week, the Jazz proved they were all about it Friday night.&nbsp;

"It's like a playoff game," Clarkson said during shootaround Friday morning.&nbsp;

"These are competitors at the highest level. … It doesn't matter if we're going to shoot free throws for $5 or we're going to play a tournament for a lot more than $5," Hardy added. "If there's something on the line, the guys are very competitive. They're gonna go after that, I have no doubt this will be the same."

Utah is off to a 1-0 start in Group A of the Western Conference following Friday's victory over Memphis. The Jazz return to Salt Lake City for home games against the Blazers and Suns on Nov. 14 and 17, respectively. They close out group play with a road showdown against the Lakers in Los Angeles on the 21.&nbsp;

2.) Clarkson Closes StrongAfter a Luke Kennard three cut Utah's lead to one with just over two minutes to play, the Jazz came dangerously close to letting a 21-point second-half lead slip away.

But Clarkson answered the call for the Jazz.&nbsp;

He got a steal and finished with a layup, and then, following a stop defensively, Clarkson buried a three to stretch Utah's lead to six with one minute to play. Keyonte George kicked down two free throws with 14.2 seconds left to clinch the win.

Clarkson finished with 26 points, four rebounds, and four assists, while Lauri Markkanen added 26 points, seven rebounds, and two blocks.

"We got the spacing," Clarkson said about the final minutes of regulation. "I feel confident in the shots that I take during the game. … We closed the game out. Big thing for us was defensively. … It was a good win for us."

3.) Oh My, John CollinsWe already knew John Collins was extremely athletic, known for his high-flying dunks throughout his career.

While Collins had shown flashes of that skill throughout his early time in Utah, everyone had been waiting for him to catch his first body.&nbsp;

Collins threw down an absolutely VICIOUS one-handed dunk over Grizzlies center Bismack Biyombo. More impressive by Collins, Biyombo was whistled for the foul on the dunk attempt.

Collins finished with 18 points (3-of-3 from deep), three rebounds, and four blocks.

4.) Agbaji Catches FireAfter ending last year on fire, expectations were high for Ochai Agbaji. However, he started his sophomore season slowly while trying to find his role amidst Utah's backcourt pile-up. 

Since moving to the starting lineup two nights ago — alongside George — Agbaji looks much more comfortable. He broke out of his early-season slump with 15 points and six rebounds. He shot 6-of-8 from the floor and 3-of-5 from beyond the arc.&nbsp;

While it was expected the offense would come at some point, Agbaji was very good defensively against Memphis. He navigated screens well, was vocal in help defense, and stood up individually to the tune of two blocks.&nbsp;

5.) Much-Needed BreakIt’s no secret the schedule makers did the Jazz no favors in the early part of the season.

Following Friday's win, the Jazz now lead the Western Conference with 10 games played. Their six road games are second in the conference, trailing Golden State's seven. Since the season started on Oct. 25, Utah is the only team in the West to not have at least a two-day break between games.

The good news is that the Jazz will have an extended and much-needed break upon returning home. Utah will play two games in the next seven days, both at home. This will allow them to rest their bodies and get in some practice time — which is just as valuable for a team that's been making lineup/rotation changes already.&nbsp;

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"Like a Playoff Game" — 5 Things to Know Following Utah's Win Over the Grizzlies

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Highlights: Jordan Clarkson – 26 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists

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Highlights: Jazz 127 | Grizzlies 121

Utah wasted no time on Wednesday night.&nbsp;

The Jazz came out blistering hot from beyond the arc in the opening 24 minutes, scoring 79 points in the first half (their second-most in team history). Never letting up, Utah continued to push the tempo the rest of the way and cruised to the easy 133-109 victory over the Grizzlies.&nbsp;

“Obviously winning is more fun than losing,” head coach Will Hardy said. “I think having a really good result like this as a team early in the season, it does help add to the belief. It does help build the trust amongst the group that we are on the right track and that we are capable of playing really good basketball.”

Here are five things to know following the win.&nbsp;

1.) HOT STARTI put ‘HOT START’ in capital letters to emphasize how well Utah played in the opening 12 minutes, but that doesn’t do it justice. 

Utah erupted for 42 points in the first quarter, eight more than their previous quarter-high this season (34 in the second quarter against the Kings on opening night). They shot 15-of-20 from the field and 8-of-10 from beyond the arc.&nbsp;

The most impressive stat was that the Jazz had 12 assists in the same time frame. Instead of playing a lot of isolation, my-turn-your-turn style of ball, Utah did a phenomenal job of spreading the floor and making the extra pass.&nbsp;

Also, Utah held the Grizzlies to 19 points on 6-of-23 shooting from the floor. The defense was active and didn’t back down from Memphis’ physical style of play.&nbsp;

Obviously, these stats won’t happen every game — but it’s nice knowing the Jazz can play at this high level.&nbsp;

“Early in the first half, we moved the ball really well,” Hardy said. “I don't expect us to shoot at that clip every night. … There’s a little bit of good fortune in that. We did a good job of generating good looks.”

2.) Clarkson Breaks OutAfter getting off to a good start in the opening two games, Jordan Clarkson’s production slowed. 

But you knew it was just a matter of time before the Flamethrower broke out in a big way — and Wednesday was that time.&nbsp;

Clarkson erupted for 18 points in the first half, shooting 7-of-9 from the field and 4-of-4 from three as Utah led by 33 at the break. He finished the night with 20 points, six rebounds, and five assists.

3.) Bench ProductionIn Utah’s loss to the Nuggets two nights ago, the Jazz got just 18 points from their bench,  with Collin Sexton scoring 12 of them in the second half as Utah made a late charge. To be successful, the Jazz know they will need big-time production from their second unit on a nightly basis. 

Sexton was again the main culprit, erupting for 10 points in the first quarter before finishing with a season-high 23. Kelly Olynyk was also sensational, playing his best game of the season as he added 14 points, eight rebounds, and five assists.&nbsp;

Altogether, the Jazz finished with 65 points from the bench, their most of the season.

4.) Rookie Gets UpIn a game full of highlights, it was rookie Keyonte George who brought Jazz Nation to their feet with the loudest cheer. 

Midway through the fourth quarter, with the game well in hand, George got a steal and turned up court. He passed the ball to Kris Dunn on the wing, who took one dribble and tossed an underhand alley-oop that George finished with authority.&nbsp;

It was an excellent play for the rookie after he nearly had an incredible poster dunk earlier in the game but was fouled in the air before landing hard. He shook it off and finished the night with nine points and three assists.&nbsp;

“It was great,” George said of the dunk. “It was cool. … I haven’t gotten a dunk in the regular season, so technically that’s really my first NBA dunk.”

5.) Put the Game Away EarlyInstead of taking their foot off the pedal and allowing the Grizzlies to crawl back into the game, the Jazz never let up, as they led by 20+ for the entire second half. That’s big considering Utah faces Orlando Thursday night at Delta Center — a team well-rested after playing in Los Angeles on Tuesday night.

Lauri Markkanen led the Jazz with 28 minutes, while John Collins finished with 27. Jordan Clarkson and Kelly Olynyk finished with 26 minutes. Every other regular rotation player played between 12 and 23 minutes.&nbsp;

Tipoff against the Magic is set for 7 p.m.

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"Winning is More Fun" — 5 Things to Know Following Utah's Win Over the Grizzlies

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Highlights: Jordan Clarkson – 20 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, 4 3PM

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Delta

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