Grizzlies 123, Jazz 118: 2 Winners, 2 Losers

Desmond Bane scored 24 points, while Tyus Jones chipped in 20 as the Memphis Grizzlies defeated the Utah Jazz, 123-118. Lauri Markkanen led the Jazz with 21 points in a losing cause.

The Jazz were within striking distance in the fourth quarter, getting within seven points with just 6:27 to go. However, giving up 43 points in the second quarter was too much to overcome as Memphis held on for the win.

Let’s break down the winners and losers of Utah’s last game in its three-game road trip.

Winner: Walker Kessler

Kessler continues to show his value in the paint and at the rim. The 2022 first-rounder blocked six shots and grabbed 11 rebounds in only 23 minutes of work.

It’s still puzzling that even with Utah’s defensive struggles, Kessler continues to get part-time minutes. He is only averaging 16 minutes per game in January despite the Jazz being ranked dead last in points allowed in the paint for the year.

Loser: Jordan Clarkson

It was a rough night for the former Sixth Man of the Year as he was ejected from the game. At the end of the third quarter, Clarkson was flagged for a Flagrant 2 foul when he purposefully swiped Desmond Bane across the face on a drive to the basket.

Clarkson then immediately squared up in a fighting position facing his opponent, similar to what he did in a game earlier this year against the Golden State Warriors. It was a bizarre sequence of events, and Clarkson needs to be better than that.

The Jazz were only down eight points at the time, and losing their second-leading scorer for the final period may have sealed their fate.

Winner: Jazz Bench

Utah’s bench kept the team in the game, scoring 42 points with three out of five players out of the red in the +/- column. Nickeil Alexander-Walker stood out after not seeing the court for the last two games.

'NAW' scored 11 points on 4-for-5 shooting in just 17 minutes. Was that enough to get him back in the rotation?

Only time will tell, but Alexander-Walker is a proven defender with some length which would bode well for a team that ranks 27th in defensive rating.

Loser: Utah’s Playoff Hopes

For the first time this year, the Jazz are officially on the outside looking in for at least a play-in game. Since their blistering 10-3 start, the Jazz are 10-20.

Utah has a shot to get back in the thick of things if it can take advantage of some home cooking, with the next 11 out of 13 games being played in Salt Lake City. It’s going to be ‘make or break’ time, with the trade deadline only one month away.

Next up is Donovan Mitchell coming back to Salt Lake City as the Cleveland Cavaliers face the Jazz on Tuesday night. Tip-off is at 7:00 pm MDT.

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