Mitchell scores 30, Jazz beat Memphis 120-113 to go up 3-1
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) The Utah Jazz have put themselves in position to help erase a very bad memory from last year's Florida bubble.
Donovan Mitchell scored 30 points, and the top-seeded Jazz grabbed a 3-1 lead Monday night by holding off the Memphis Grizzlies 120-113.
That's the same lead the Jazz blew in losing their first-round series in seven games to Denver in the bubble. This time around, the team with the NBA's best record in the regular season is going home trying to close out this first round, best-of-seven series on Wednesday night in Salt Lake City.
''We obviously remember that feeling that we had last season, and it's not something we want to experience again,'' Jazz guard Mike Conley said.
This is a different Utah team with Bojan Bogdanovic available and Derrick Favors back on the bench. Conley also is more comfortable in his second season.
''We'll hopefully be able to get our minds focused on business and not let this one slip away like we did last year,'' Conley said.
Mitchell said another difference is the Jazz aren't satisfied being up 3-1.
''We have to go there and take care of homecourt back in Utah, and I think that's where our head is at,'' Mitchell said.
All-Star Rudy Gobert scored 13 of his 17 points in the third quarter. Jordan Clarkson, the NBA's 6th man of the year winner, scored 24. Bogdanovic added 13, Conley had 11.
Ja Morant, who averaged 33.7 points through the first three games, scored 23 and had 12 assists for Memphis. Dillon Brooks and Jaren Jackson Jr. each added 21, De'Anthony Melton had all 15 of his points in the fourth quarter and Jonas Valanciunas finished with 14 points and 12 rebounds.
Memphis opened the fourth quarter on a 12-2 run, taking advantage as the Jazz missed their first nine shots from the floor. Melton hit 5 of 7 shots in the period - including a trio of 3s. His 3 with 5:30 left got the Grizzlies within 106-104.
Conley, with former Grizzlies teammates Zach Randolph and Tony Allen on hand, ended the Jazz's scoring drought with a 3. He also blocked a jumper by Morant and then hit another 3.
''He's kind of sneaky quiet,'' Utah coach Quin Snyder said of Conley. ''He whispers, but you can hear him. I think he impacts the game so many ways.''
The Jazz went 3 of 16 in the fourth but 11 of 12 at the free-throw line. Mitchell hit all six and finished 12 of 13 at the line.
''They've been playing with each other for a long time,'' Jackson said of the Jazz. ''They have a little bit more playoff experience than us. So, they've got a good feel right now.''
Memphis had another raucous, loud crowd waving growl towels that proclaimed ''I'm On My Grizzly,'' quoting rapper J. Cole.
The Grizzlies had their best start to a game in this series, scoring the first four points and leading by as much as four. Better yet, Utah never led by more than five and was up only 34-31 after the first quarter.
Yet Memphis, the youngest team in this postseason, never led by more than four. Utah showed off its talent and experience answering each Grizzlies' run.
''There's nothing to be frustrated about when you're giving great fight against the best team in the NBA,'' Memphis coach Taylor Jenkins said. ''They just have a response for everything. We're giving everything we've got.''
The teams swapped the lead 11 times with seven ties in the first half. The Jazz used a 13-2 run to take their biggest lead at 59-50 on back-to-back 3s by Mitchell before Morant scored the final four of the half to trim Utah's lead to 59-54.
The Grizzlies got within 72-71 with 7:03 left in the third. Gobert's three-point play started a 13-2 spurt, and Utah led 100-87 after three.
TIP-INS
Jazz: Gobert missed the only shot he took in the first quarter, missed his second attempt in the second quarter and picked up his second foul at 9:50 left. He had just one point and two rebounds by halftime. ... Clarkson helped Utah finish with a 40-30 edge in bench scoring. ... They shot 17 of 34 (50%) on 3-pointers. ... They also had a 20-19 edge in fast-break points.
Grizzlies: They're now 4-11 all-time in Game 4. ... Valanciunas started this game much better than Game 3 when he scored all 10 of his points in the third quarter. This time, he had six points and two rebounds in nine minutes. ... Jackson's season high was 20 points against Toronto on May 8 after missing most of the season recovering from knee surgery.
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Time | Team | Play | Score | |
---|---|---|---|---|
12:00 | Rudy Gobert vs. Jonas Valanciunas (Jaren Jackson Jr. gains possession) | |||
11:46 | +2 | Jaren Jackson Jr. makes two point alley-oop dunk (Kyle Anderson assists) | 0-2 | |
11:29 | Donovan Mitchell misses three point jump shot | |||
11:27 | Jaren Jackson Jr. defensive rebound | |||
11:14 | +2 | Jonas Valanciunas makes two point jump shot (Dillon Brooks assists) | 0-4 | |
10:56 | +2 | Bojan Bogdanovic makes two point step back jump shot (Donovan Mitchell assists) | 2-4 | |
10:43 | Jonas Valanciunas misses three point jump shot | |||
10:41 | Royce O'Neale defensive rebound | |||
10:34 | +2 | Donovan Mitchell makes two point finger roll layup | 4-4 | |
10:26 | +2 | Dillon Brooks makes two point finger roll layup | 4-6 | |
10:14 | +3 | Bojan Bogdanovic makes three point jump shot (Mike Conley assists) | 7-6 | |
9:58 | Donovan Mitchell blocks Kyle Anderson's two point floating jump shot | |||
9:55 | Jonas Valanciunas offensive rebound | |||
9:53 | +2 | Jonas Valanciunas makes two point layup (Kyle Anderson assists) | 7-8 | |
9:40 | +2 | Donovan Mitchell makes two point jump shot | 9-8 | |
9:17 | Donovan Mitchell shooting foul (Jonas Valanciunas draws the foul) | |||
9:17 | +1 | Jonas Valanciunas makes regular free throw 1 of 2 | 9-9 | |
9:17 | +1 | Jonas Valanciunas makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 9-10 | |
8:54 | +3 | Mike Conley makes three point jump shot (Bojan Bogdanovic assists) | 12-10 | |
8:43 | Dillon Brooks misses two point driving layup | |||
8:41 | Royce O'Neale defensive rebound | |||
8:34 | +3 | Royce O'Neale makes three point jump shot (Donovan Mitchell assists) | 15-10 | |
8:33 | Grizzlies 60 second timeout | |||
8:20 | +2 | Ja Morant makes two point jump shot (Jaren Jackson Jr. assists) | 15-12 | |
7:55 | Bojan Bogdanovic misses two point floating jump shot | |||
7:53 | Jaren Jackson Jr. defensive rebound | |||
7:34 | +2 | Ja Morant makes two point floating jump shot | 15-14 | |
7:21 | Donovan Mitchell misses two point step back jump shot | |||
7:18 | Ja Morant defensive rebound | |||
7:17 | Rudy Gobert personal foul (Ja Morant draws the foul) | |||
7:04 | Jonas Valanciunas misses two point turnaround hook shot | |||
7:03 | Jazz defensive rebound | |||
6:51 | Donovan Mitchell misses three point jump shot | |||
6:49 | Jonas Valanciunas defensive rebound | |||
6:41 | Bojan Bogdanovic shooting foul (Dillon Brooks draws the foul) | |||
6:41 | +1 | Dillon Brooks makes regular free throw 1 of 2 | 15-15 | |
6:41 | +1 | Dillon Brooks makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 15-16 | |
6:28 | +2 | Donovan Mitchell makes two point turnaround jump shot | 17-16 | |
6:28 | Grayson Allen shooting foul (Donovan Mitchell draws the foul) | |||
6:28 | Donovan Mitchell misses regular free throw 1 of 1 | |||
6:25 | Kyle Anderson defensive rebound | |||
6:03 | Kyle Anderson misses three point jump shot | |||
6:00 | Royce O'Neale defensive rebound | |||
5:38 | Royce O'Neale misses three point jump shot | |||
5:34 | Ja Morant defensive rebound | |||
5:26 | Jonas Valanciunas turnover (lost ball) (Donovan Mitchell steals) | |||
5:19 | Donovan Mitchell misses two point floating jump shot | |||
5:14 | Derrick Favors offensive rebound | |||
5:14 | +2 | Derrick Favors makes two point putback layup | 19-16 | |
5:06 | Royce O'Neale personal foul (Jonas Valanciunas draws the foul) | |||
4:57 | Ja Morant misses three point jump shot | |||
4:54 | Bojan Bogdanovic defensive rebound | |||
4:43 | Bojan Bogdanovic misses two point step back jump shot | |||
4:41 | Grayson Allen defensive rebound | |||
4:39 | +2 | Dillon Brooks makes two point dunk | 19-18 | |
4:20 | +2 | Derrick Favors makes two point layup (Joe Ingles assists) | 21-18 | |
4:07 | +3 | Grayson Allen makes three point jump shot (Desmond Bane assists) | 21-21 | |
3:48 | +2 | Derrick Favors makes two point floating jump shot (Joe Ingles assists) | 23-21 | |
3:24 | +3 | Desmond Bane makes three point jump shot (Ja Morant assists) | 23-24 | |
3:23 | Jazz 60 second timeout | |||
3:12 | Desmond Bane personal foul (Rudy Gobert draws the foul) | |||
3:02 | Desmond Bane blocks Rudy Gobert's two point layup | |||
2:59 | Desmond Bane defensive rebound | |||
2:58 | +2 | Desmond Bane makes two point finger roll layup | 23-26 | |
2:40 | Ja Morant shooting foul (Mike Conley draws the foul) | |||
2:40 | +1 | Mike Conley makes regular free throw 1 of 2 | 24-26 | |
2:40 | +1 | Mike Conley makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 25-26 | |
2:20 | +3 | Jaren Jackson Jr. makes three point jump shot (Ja Morant assists) | 25-29 | |
2:08 | +3 | Georges Niang makes three point jump shot (Joe Ingles assists) | 28-29 | |
1:52 | +2 | Jaren Jackson Jr. makes two point finger roll layup | 28-31 | |
1:35 | +2 | Jordan Clarkson makes two point floating jump shot | 30-31 | |
1:20 | Grayson Allen misses three point jump shot | |||
1:17 | Joe Ingles defensive rebound | |||
1:11 | Jordan Clarkson misses three point jump shot | |||
1:08 | Jaren Jackson Jr. defensive rebound | |||
0:56 | Jaren Jackson Jr. misses three point jump shot | |||
0:50 | Jordan Clarkson defensive rebound | |||
0:46 | Joe Ingles misses three point jump shot | |||
0:44 | Jazz offensive rebound | |||
0:44 | Jaren Jackson Jr. personal foul (Loose ball) (Rudy Gobert draws the foul) | |||
0:33 | +2 | Joe Ingles makes two point finger roll layup (Mike Conley assists) | 32-31 | |
0:15 | Jaren Jackson Jr. misses three point jump shot | |||
0:11 | Joe Ingles defensive rebound | |||
0:01 | Desmond Bane personal foul (Jordan Clarkson draws the foul) | |||
0:01 | +1 | Jordan Clarkson makes regular free throw 1 of 2 | 33-31 | |
0:01 | +1 | Jordan Clarkson makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 34-31 | |
0:00 | Jaren Jackson Jr. misses three point jump shot | |||
0:00 | Grizzlies offensive rebound | |||
0:00 | End of period |
Time | Team | Play | Score | |
---|---|---|---|---|
11:52 | Jordan Clarkson offensive foul (Jaren Jackson Jr. draws the foul) | |||
11:52 | Jordan Clarkson turnover (offensive foul) | |||
11:35 | Rudy Gobert blocks Jaren Jackson Jr.'s two point floating jump shot | |||
11:32 | Jordan Clarkson defensive rebound | |||
11:22 | Jordan Clarkson misses two point floating jump shot | |||
11:20 | Rudy Gobert offensive rebound | |||
11:20 | Rudy Gobert misses two point putback layup | |||
11:20 | Grizzlies defensive rebound | |||
11:09 | Joe Ingles personal foul (Dillon Brooks draws the foul) | |||
11:03 | Kyle Anderson misses two point jump shot | |||
11:01 | Rudy Gobert defensive rebound | |||
10:54 | +3 | Georges Niang makes three point jump shot (Mike Conley assists) | 37-31 | |
10:36 | +2 | Jaren Jackson Jr. makes two point dunk (Kyle Anderson assists) | 37-33 | |
10:24 | Mike Conley misses two point floating jump shot | |||
10:22 | Tyus Jones defensive rebound | |||
10:17 | Dillon Brooks turnover (out of bounds lost ball) | |||
10:05 | Jaren Jackson Jr. shooting foul (Rudy Gobert draws the foul) | |||
10:05 | Rudy Gobert misses regular free throw 1 of 2 | |||
10:05 | Jazz offensive rebound | |||
10:05 | +1 | Rudy Gobert makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 38-33 | |
9:50 | Rudy Gobert shooting foul (Dillon Brooks draws the foul) | |||
9:50 | +1 | Dillon Brooks makes regular free throw 1 of 2 | 38-34 | |
9:50 | +1 | Dillon Brooks makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 38-35 | |
9:40 | Jordan Clarkson misses three point jump shot | |||
9:38 | Dillon Brooks defensive rebound | |||
9:28 | +3 | Jaren Jackson Jr. makes three point jump shot (Dillon Brooks assists) | 38-38 | |
9:11 | Jordan Clarkson turnover (bad pass) (Kyle Anderson steals) | |||
9:08 | Kyle Anderson turnover (bad pass) (Joe Ingles steals) | |||
9:03 | +3 | Jordan Clarkson makes three point jump shot (Mike Conley assists) | 41-38 | |
8:41 | Dillon Brooks misses two point jump shot | |||
8:37 | Joe Ingles defensive rebound | |||
8:26 | Tyus Jones personal foul (Mike Conley draws the foul) | |||
8:17 | Joe Ingles misses two point finger roll layup | |||
8:15 | Jaren Jackson Jr. defensive rebound | |||
8:09 | Jaren Jackson Jr. misses three point jump shot | |||
8:06 | Joe Ingles defensive rebound | |||
7:57 | Mike Conley turnover (lost ball) (Jaren Jackson Jr. steals) | |||
7:56 | Joe Ingles personal foul (Take) (Desmond Bane draws the foul) | |||
7:49 | +2 | Dillon Brooks makes two point floating jump shot | 41-40 | |
7:42 | Dillon Brooks personal foul (Donovan Mitchell draws the foul) | |||
7:32 | Jordan Clarkson misses two point driving hook shot | |||
7:27 | Derrick Favors offensive rebound | |||
7:27 | Derrick Favors misses two point putback layup | |||
7:27 | Desmond Bane defensive rebound | |||
7:23 | Tyus Jones misses two point floating jump shot | |||
7:20 | Jordan Clarkson defensive rebound | |||
7:16 | Jordan Clarkson misses two point driving layup | |||
7:15 | Grizzlies defensive rebound | |||
7:15 | Grizzlies 60 second timeout | |||
7:02 | Jonas Valanciunas misses two point turnaround hook shot | |||
6:59 | Derrick Favors defensive rebound | |||
6:47 | +3 | Jordan Clarkson makes three point jump shot | 44-40 | |
6:37 | Dillon Brooks offensive foul (Jordan Clarkson draws the foul) | |||
6:37 | Dillon Brooks turnover (offensive foul) | |||
6:22 | Dillon Brooks shooting foul (Donovan Mitchell draws the foul) | |||
6:22 | +1 | Donovan Mitchell makes regular free throw 1 of 2 | 45-40 | |
6:22 | +1 | Donovan Mitchell makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 46-40 | |
6:04 | +3 | Ja Morant makes three point jump shot (De'Anthony Melton assists) | 46-43 | |
5:52 | Donovan Mitchell turnover (out of bounds bad pass) | |||
5:37 | Grayson Allen misses three point jump shot | |||
5:34 | Jordan Clarkson defensive rebound | |||
5:15 | Donovan Mitchell misses two point fadeaway jump shot | |||
5:11 | Desmond Bane defensive rebound | |||
5:04 | +3 | Grayson Allen makes three point step back jump shot (Desmond Bane assists) | 46-46 | |
5:02 | Jazz 60 second timeout | |||
4:45 | Bojan Bogdanovic turnover (lost ball) (Grayson Allen steals) | |||
4:35 | Grayson Allen misses three point jump shot | |||
4:31 | Jonas Valanciunas offensive rebound | |||
4:31 | +2 | Jonas Valanciunas makes two point putback layup | 46-48 | |
4:11 | +2 | Jordan Clarkson makes two point fadeaway jump shot | 48-48 | |
3:51 |