Memphis, Tenn. • A month ago, the Jazz had to grind out a four-point physical win in FedEx Forum.
The Memphis Grizzlies had lost 10 straight games since that game headed into Friday night’s rematch with Utah, but the Jazz expected nothing to change. And they were right.
It was a 95-78 victory for Utah (36-30), one that helped the Jazz keep pace for a Western Conference playoff race that has been just out of reach. The Jazz have rolled to 17 wins in 19 games starting back in January, including the last five straight. But nothing about it was easy.
Even into the fourth quarter, the Grizzlies, who have more losses than any other NBA team, were within single digits. They clawed with contact in a relatively low-whistle game, and made the Jazz earn every inch of victory, which was Utah’s 10th consecutive on the road and tied the second-best road winning streak in franchise history. The franchise record is 15, set in 1995-96.
“We knew it was going to be a fight,” said Rudy Gobert, who had just four points battling with Marc Gasol. “We didn’t get many calls tonight, but we had to play through it, and we had to play defense.”
And Utah did: The Jazz allowed just 55 points from Memphis in the final three quarters, stifling Gasol (nine points) well below his average and limiting the Grizzlies at the perimeter (6 for 22 from 3-point range). They were left with midrange jumpers, which against the Jazz has been a losing proposition lately.
While Gobert had a limited night offensively, he finished as the team’s leader in plus-minus as the Jazz outscored the Grizzlies by 22 while he was on the floor. He and Derrick Favors combined for five blocks.
Utah busted the game open in the second quarter with a 16-2 run, making what was a scrappy game into one where they were at least working from ahead. The surprise leading scorer was Jae Crowder, who had 22 points for a season-high. Shooting 6 for 11 from 3-point range, Crowder benefited greatly from Memphis’ attention to Rudy Gobert’s pick-and-roll threat.
“Rudy does a great job for what our offense brings — that’s rolling to the basket, being a rim-runner,” he said. “You have to respect that. You have to be on the rim all night. And I think they did a good job of taking that away and leaving us to make shots.”
Crowder made the most of his looks, and teammates found him: Ricky Rubio and Donovan Mitchell had 11 of Utah’s 26 assists. Joe Ingles (16 points) also added four 3-pointers as the Jazz shot nearly 41 percent from deep. With only 16 combined points from Gobert and Mitchell, the effort showcased Utah’s versatility on offense — not something that readily comes to mind when considering their season so far.
This win won’t be at the top of the heap when the Jazz look back on the season: Memphis has the longest losing streak in the league (16 games), and the Grizzlies played without dynamic scorers and playmakers Mike Conley and Tyreke Evans. Instead, unheralded rookies like Dillon Brooks (18 points) and undistinguished journeymen like Ben McLemore (14 points) led the way in front of a poorly attended game for a tanking franchise.
But every win matters, especially for the Jazz, who maintained a tie with Denver, but moved up into eighth place in the West. Snyder said he believes his team is beyond so-called “trap games,” because Utah knows it can’t afford to lose any of the 16 remaining. Another game with big implications lies just ahead when the Jazz take on New Orleans, which may or may not field Anthony Davis (ankle sprain).
While Utah doesn’t have much margin for error, Crowder said that in a way, he’s enjoyed the chase on his new team.
“You have to take your focus level up a notch. I’ve been on teams where it’s expected to go [to the playoffs], and I’ve been on teams where it’s not expected to go. The level it takes to be where we want to be in the playoffs, you have to bring a respect level to the game and take it up a notch.”
