The Grizzlies trailed by 14 points in the first half, but a strong third quarter led to a 21-6 run and a 10-point lead for Memphis entering the fourth quarter. The lead reached 16 on a Jackson three-pointer with 4:31 left.
Advertisement
Eight of the nine Grizzlies who played reached double figures as Memphis snapped a four-game losing streak.
Isaiah Collier led the Jazz with 24 points, while Kyle Filipowski and Ace Bailey finished with 20 points each.
The game featured two teams fighting to reach the bottom tier of the Western Conference. The Grizzlies entered the night ranked 11th in the conference, while the Jazz were ranked 13th. And the NBA fined Utah $500,000 earlier this month for leaving out key players in the fourth quarter of games against Orlando and Miami.
Meanwhile, any success for the Grizzlies would have to come from deep within their bench. Nine players were absent against Utah due to various ailments or injuries.
Advertisement
That left a skeleton crew to face a depleted Utah squad. Players like Keyonte George, Jusuf Nurkic and Jaren Jackson Jr., acquired from the Grizzlies at the trade deadline, were dealing with injuries.
Lauri Markkanen, Utah’s leading scorer, was out late due to illness.
The Grizzlies recognized Jackson with a video tribute at the end of the first quarter. Vince Williams Jr. and John Konchar, also in the Jazz trade, were honored in a timeout before halftime.
Utah led 67-55 into the locker room at halftime.
Next:
Jazz: Visit Houston on Monday night.
Grizzlies: Visit Miami to face the Heat on Saturday.
___
NBA AP: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA