The Grizzlies closed out their four-game homestand Saturday night with a decisive 125-103 victory over the Utah Jazz. Memphis swept the homestand and has now won six games in a row.
Any win is by definition a good win, but this one holds significance with all five starters in double figures and GG Jackson scoring his season-high off the bench.
The Grizzlies got off to a good start, taking a solid 65-57 lead into the second half. But it was the third quarter where Memphis really took over and asserted its dominance. They went on a 24-7 run and outscored the Jazz 36-17 in the period.
Some poor officiating in the second quarter benefited the Grizzlies, when Utah forward Drew Eubanks was ejected on a flagrant penalty two foul that looked much closer to a flagrant one. (A flagrant penalty one foul is unnecessary contact committed by a player against an opponent; a flagrant penalty two foul is contact that is unnecessary and excessive.)
Utah outscored Memphis 29-24 in the fourth quarter, but it wasn’t enough to overcome the Grizzlies’ sizeable lead, propelled by big performances from the starting five.
Jaren Jackson Jr. led the team in scoring with 28 points, and added 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block while shooting 10 of 14 overall and 2 of 4 from three-point range.
Zach Edey put up 19 points, 7 rebounds, 2 steals, and 4 blocks on 5 of 8 overall shooting and 2 of 3 from beyond the arc.
Desmond Bane added 17 points, a team-high 9 rebounds, 6 assists, and 1 steal while shooting 7 of 11 overall and 2 of 3 from beyond the arc.
Jaylen Wells finished with 16 points and 4 rebounds on 5 of 8 overall shooting and 2 of 4 from three-point range.
Ja Morant closed out with 11 points, 1 rebound, 7 assists, and 1 steal on 4 of 9 overall shooting.
From the bench, GG Jackson scored a season-high 15 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, and 1 steal. Jackson made his season debut on January 20th after recovering from surgery in September to repair a broken fifth metatarsal in his right foot.
Who Got Next?
The Grizzlies are heading to the World’s Most Famous Arena, Madison Square Garden, to take on the New York Knicks on Monday night. Tip-off is at 6:30 PM CST.
