3 Standouts in Jazz’s 127-121 In-Season Tournament Win vs. Grizzlies

At long last, the Utah Jazz finally secured their first road win of the season against the Memphis Grizzlies in 127-121. While things got a bit too close for comfort in the fourth quarter when the Jazz got tied up after an early 21-point lead, the guys were able to close this one out to get their first victory of the In-Season Tournament.

It was a great group effort by many on the team, both in the starting unit and off the bench. The Jazz shot incredibly efficiently, putting up collective 53.6/48.6/93.1 splits on the night. While the ball security remained a bit of an issue (21 total turnovers), the offense looked a bit more fluid than some of the previous games we’ve seen this season.

Let’s take a look at three key players that helped Utah pull out their third win of the season and second against the Grizzlies:

John Collins

What a night from John Collins. In the second game without Walker Kessler, the Jazz’s offseason acquisition stepped up big time. In a hefty 38 minutes, Collins generated 18 points on six shots (3/3 from three), grabbing three boards and a Sheriff-esque four blocks. The performance was capped off perfectly with a highlight poster on Bismack Biyombo in the third quarter.

Without Kessler, this team needed someone to shine through in his absence. Tonight, it just so happened to be the former Atlanta Hawks forward. His ability to produce from all three levels of the floor, combined with his shot-blocking on the other end of the floor was a key factor in Utah’s success.

Set to move forward without their starting center for a few more games, Collins will have the prime opportunity to keep producing at this high level to substantially alleviate the blow of losing Kessler.

Ochai Agbaji

It was a season-high night for Ochai Agbaji, putting together 15 points on a very pleasant 75% rate from the field. Combine this with his six boards, two blocks, and a steal, and you could consider tonight as a total success for his second-straight start of the season.

While losing Kessler is far from ideal, it has allowed the second-year wing to get a bit more minutes and opportunity in the Jazz lineup. So far, the young pairing of him and Keyonte George in the starting five has been not only exciting, but has proven pretty successful after tonight’s W.

Lauri Markkanen

It would be a disservice to not mention the impact Lauri Markkanen brought tonight for Utah. The All-Star forward continued his stellar season scoring the ball, posting 26 points with his usual efficiency (8/13 from the field, 4/9 from range). He also brought some heat on the defensive end, posting two steals and two blocks.

Tonight’s game was a bit more of a balanced attack on the offensive side, with six Jazz players getting in double figures, which effectively helps take some of the pressure and attention off of a threat like Markkanen. For this Utah offense to be at its best, it can’t be a one-man show. Thankfully, tonight, it was anything but that.

The Jazz will look to build off this win in their second In-Season Tournament game come Tuesday when they’ll travel back home to the Delta Center to take on the Portland Trail Blazers.

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