This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2017, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
In the nine seconds that Jazz center Rudy Gobert officially needed to grab a rebound, dribble the basketball 94 feet and attempt a scooping layup, all kinds of possibilities came into play Saturday night.
Judging by the sellout crowd's buzz of anticipation as it became apparent that Gobert was not stopping on his long-striding trek down the court, Vivint Smart Home Arena may have imploded if he could have properly finished the play.
Gobert's shot bounced in and of the basket, though. The building is still standing. And this season stopped being quite as much fun, thanks to the Jazz's 102-95 loss to Memphis.
The Jazz (30-19) missed a chance to overtake the Los Angeles Clippers for the No. 4 spot in the Western Conference. This being January, the loss itself is not all that damaging at the moment. Yet the way it unfolded has to be mildly disturbing. Just as happened Monday at home against Oklahoma City, the Jazz wilted in a playoff-style game.
Afterward, Jazz coach Quin Snyder said what needed to be said: The Grizzlies were "really mentally tough." His own team simply did not fit that description.
Memphis deserves credit for answering every Jazz threat with big shots from Zach Randolph, Marc Gasol and Mike Conley. Naturally, the Jazz played a part in the Grizzlies' success.
"We were not a good defensive team tonight," Snyder said.
The Jazz's 46.8-percent shooting and Gobert's 9-of-9 free-throw performance should have been sufficient offense, even with All-Star forward Gordon Hayward having a rough night. The Grizzlies, not known for their offense, just shredded the Jazz from inside and outside — with 48 points in the paint and 11 3-pointers.
Gobert's long drive could have cut Memphis' lead to three points with 1:14 left, and who knows what may have happened then? Actually, I do know. The Grizzlies would have responded, just as they did all night.
My evidence comes from a sequence that started when Gobert took a pass from Hayward and dunked the ball, pulling the Jazz to within 90-87 with 5:20 left — the first time they had been closer than four points since their disastrous second quarter. Conley delivered long shots on each of Memphis' next three possessions, twice while being guarded by George Hill and once when Rodney Hood switched onto him.
The Grizzlies are known for their physical nature, but toughness is measured in other ways. Stepping up and hitting big shots is one of them, and that's where Memphis succeeded and the Jazz failed.
So ended a week in Jazzland that was alternately filled with promise and disappointment, validation and questioning. The Jazz have come far enough this season to make these home-court defeats feel all the more discouraging.
If the wearing effect of the schedule had something to do with losses to OKC and Denver, no such excuses were available Saturday. The Grizzlies had dropped a tough, down-to-the-wire game at Portland the previous night. Derrick Favors was unavailable, and he may have helped the Jazz's interior defense. But after all the injuries Jazz have gone through, this team should be good enough to win home games under any circumstances.
During Monday's announcement of the franchise being transferred to a legacy trust, ensuring that it stays in Utah, the late owner Larry H. Miller's famous words about effort were invoked. Yet other than slogging their way to Thursday's win over the lowly Los Angeles Lakers, the Jazz didn't deliver anything resembling their best stuff this week.
With opportunities for their fans to celebrate some meaningful wins and eagerly look ahead to the playoffs, the Jazz just gave them reasons to wonder about what's coming in April.
Twitter: @tribkurt