When it looked as if Memphis were climbing back toward the top of the West – especially with the return of their most emblematic player – reality hit hard. They had won seven of their previous nine games. What better moment to roll out the red carpet for Ja Morant, sidelined for 10 games with a right calf strain and absent throughout the team’s best stretch. It wasn’t enough. Memphis fell at the FedExForum, making the disappointment sharper as a home loss, against a confident Utah Jazz side whose resistance was fierce.
The explosive point guard – the No. 2 pick in his draft class six years ago – posted a double-double in his return: 21 points and 10 assists. The downside? His shooting efficiency (7-for-20) and four turnovers. Still, he looked eager and flashed some of his trademark brilliance. Morant logged just 25 minutes, a cautious plan devised by Tuomas Iisalo and the medical staff to avoid pushing him too hard too soon. Alongside him, Spain’s Santi Aldama once again stood out for the Grizzlies – and it’s starting to feel routine. Starting this time, the power forward scored 22 points, also ultimately wasted in a 130-126 defeat.
Memphis suffered a paralysis late in the third quarter that left them chasing the game in a tense final period, trailing on the scoreboard as Will Hardy’s Jazz grew in confidence. Despite still sitting two wins behind Memphis in the standings, Utah delivered a remarkable response to win there. Kevin Love, who scored 20 points and hit the three-pointer that opened the decisive gap, proved crucial in shaping the final outcome.
Keyonte George was, however, the standout of the night. He produced the best game of his NBA career so far. Along with eight assists and six rebounds, he poured in a huge 39 points – perfect from the line (10-for-10) and 12-for-20 on field goals. In the final minute, with the score tied at 126, he made a basket and then sank two free throws that tipped the balance.
The Jazz claimed their ninth win of the season thanks to one of their most promising young players and another who remains in the league despite an age and résumé that once seemed to leave no room at elite teams. In between stands Lauri Markkanen, perpetually the subject of trade speculation since his arrival, who was the other player to top 20 points on Friday night.
All of this seemed unlikely given the start of the game, when a fresh-legged, hungry Morant chased down George for a spectacular block from behind. How quickly things changed. Ja guided his team as best he could, clawing back what they lost in the first quarter during the second – with credit also due to Coward, Wells, Spencer and Aldama, who produced a couple of fine plays. Everything appeared on track until the end of the third, when the Grizzlies suffered a collapse they never truly recovered from: a 9-0 Jazz run to close the quarter, fueled by three Love three-pointers, and 42 points conceded in the period.
In a moment of madness, Morant tried to posterize Kevin Love – still hanging in there at 37 – in what would have broken the internet. He missed, and the attempt accidentally turned into a pass for Jock Landale to drain a three. Chaos basketball, with Love having the last laugh. Iisalo tried to rally Memphis by using two ball-handlers on the perimeter. A Wells three tied the game with 1:35 remaining, but George kept his nerve – something the Grizzlies could not match – and sealed it.
Other results from the day in the NBA:Warriors 120 – Timberwolves 127 Mavericks 119 – Nets 111Wizards 126 – Cavaliers 130Hornets 126 – Bulls 129Pistons 142 – Hawks 115Sixers 115 – Pacers 105Related stories
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Memphis Grizzlies
Stats
8
Jaren Jackson Jr.
0
Jaylen Wells
7
Santi Aldama
23
Cedric Coward
12
Ja Morant
3
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope
31
Jock Landale
21
Jahmai Mashack
18
Olivier-Maxence Prosper
24
Cam Spencer
5
Vince Williams Jr.
45
GG Jackson II
Stats
Min
Pts
TR
OR
DR
Ast
Los
Rec
Blk
S1
S2
S3
RF
CF
Val
8
Jaren Jackson Jr.
26
12
5
2
3
3
1
0
1
0/2
6/10
0/3
0
4
0
0
Jaylen Wells
32
19
5
1
4
1
2
1
0
5/5
4/9
2/4
0
2
0
7
Santi Aldama
35
22
7
1
6
2
0
1
1
2/4
4/7
4/8
0
3
0
23
Cedric Coward
29
17
12
3
9
6
1
0
0
1/1
5/7
2/4
0
4
0
12
Ja Morant
25
21
4
0
4
10
4
0
1
5/7
5/15
2/5
0
1
0
3
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope
22
7
2
0
2
5
1
2
0
0/0
2/5
1/5
0
0
0
31
Jock Landale
27
8
9
2
7
1
0
0
1
0/0
1/3
2/4
0
2
0
21
Jahmai Mashack
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0/0
0/0
0/0
0
0
0
18
Olivier-Maxence Prosper
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0/0
0/0
0/0
0
0
0
24
Cam Spencer
25
20
2
0
2
4
0
0
0
2/2
0/0
6/6
0
4
0
5
Vince Williams Jr.
15
0
3
0
3
0
1
0
1
0/0
0/2
0/2
0
1
0
45
GG Jackson II
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0/0
0/0
0/0
0
0
0
Utah Jazz
Stats
23
Lauri Markkanen
10
Svi Mykhailiuk
30
Jusuf Nurkić
19
Ace Bailey
3
Keyonte George
2
Kyle Anderson
13
Walter Clayton Jr.
8
Isaiah Collier
22
Kyle Filipowski
42
Kevin Love
28
Brice Sensabaugh
16
Elijah Harkless
0
Taylor Hendricks
17
John Tonje
34
Oscar Tshiebwe
5
Cody Williams
Stats
Min
Pts
TR
OR
DR
Ast
Los
Rec
Blk
S1
S2
S3
RF
CF
Val
23
Lauri Markkanen
35
26
9
1
8
2
5
1
1
5/7
6/12
3/10
0
3
0
10
Svi Mykhailiuk
23
6
3
1
2
3
1
0
0
0/0
0/0
2/5
0
2
0
30
Jusuf Nurkić
27
13
17
5
12
7
1
1
1
1/3
6/7
0/2
0
2
0
19
Ace Bailey
31
8
4
1
3
0
1
0
2
0/0
4/9
0/3
0
2
0
3
Keyonte George
33
39
6
1
5
8
3
2
0
10/10
7/11
5/9
0
5
0
2
Kyle Anderson
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0/0
0/0
0/0
0
0
0
13
Walter Clayton Jr.
7
0
2
1
1
1
0
0
0
0/0
0/1
0/1
0
3
0
8
Isaiah Collier
23
5
2
0
2
8
2
0
0
1/5
2/5
0/1
0
1
0
22
Kyle Filipowski
18
2
4
0
4
1
0
0
0
0/0
1/4
0/1
0
1
0
42
Kevin Love
20
20
8
3
5
1
0
1
0
0/0
4/5
4/10
0
3
0
28
Brice Sensabaugh
17
11
3
1
2
2
0
1
0
0/0
1/3
3/5
0
1
0
16
Elijah Harkless
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0/0
0/0
0/0
0
0
0
0
Taylor Hendricks
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0/0
0/0
0/0
0
0
0
17
John Tonje
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0/0
0/0
0/0
0
0
0
34
Oscar Tshiebwe
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0/0
0/0
0/0
0
0
0
5
Cody Williams
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0/0
0/0
0/0
0
0
0