Luke Kennard and Ja Morant combined for 58 points to lead the Memphis Grizzlies over the visiting Utah Jazz 11-115 at the FedExForum on Wednesday, March 12.
Kennard sank a three-point shot with :55 second remaining in the game to give the Grizzlies a 117-115 lead.
The win vaults Memphis to a second place tie with the Denver Nuggets in the Western Conference Standings. Both teams share a 42-24 record. First place Oklahoma City holds a 12 game lead with a NBA-best 54-12 record. Meanwhile, Utah sinks to 15-51 for last place in the 15-team conference.
โIt is just Luke. We give him the ball for a reason. He is not just a shooter but can play on all three levels,โ complimented Morant.
The Jazz had captured the lead on the previous play on a Colin Sexton jumpshot. Morant iced the game with a three-point shot of his own with 12.1 seconds on the clock, to extend the lead to 120-115. He then connected with Scottie Pippen Jr., for the final scored of the contest.
Kennard also provided a steady outlet for the shorthanded Grizzlies. The veteran sharpshooter sank 11-14 from the field, including 7-9 from beyond the arc, in 31 minutes off the bench. Thirteen of his points came in the fourth quarter.
โI try to take the defense gave me. Coaches and teammates want me to shoot if I am open. I will continue to try to be aggressive and try to make plays. I want to be in the right spots,โ said Kennard.
Morant added 28 points and seven assists in the win. Moreover, the Grizzlies table-setter rediscovered his three-point range by hitting 4-7 from deep. Many of the shots were open looks. Since coming back from a shoulder injury, Morant has struggled with his three-point shot, including games where he failed to crack 20% from deep.
Kennard has also uncharacteristically struggled from three-point range lately.
Memphis entered the final quarter with a 90-86, lead after starting the period with a 14 point advantage. A Jordan Clarkson running three-point jump shot with 1:44 left in the third quarter pulled the Jazz to a one point deficit, 80-79.
Less then a minute later, Jazz forward Lari Markennan tied the game 85-85 on a three-point shot of his own. The open look erased the final outlines a Grizzlies 14 point first half Grizzlies lead. A pair of Morant free throws with 6.1 seconds left in the period gave Memphis a slight cushion going into the final quarter, 90-86.
Memphis outscored the Jazz 34-26 in the second quarter to take a comfortable 64-50 lead into the tunnel at halftime.
Desmond Bane also played well, scoring 17 points and a game-high nine assists. Six dishes came in the second quarter, while Morant caught a long rest on the bench. Pippen chipped in 11 points and six assists off the bench.
Four starters reached double figure for Utah. Sexton and John Collins scored 22 points apiece. Sexton also had eight rebounds and seven assists. Leading scorer Lari Markennan was held to 14 points on 5-14 shooting, five points off his season average of 19 points per game. Isaiah Collier added 11 points and six assists. However, the rookie from USC also had seven turnovers on the night.
Walker Kessler scored nine points and had a game-high 14 rebounds. The Jazz outrebounded the Grizzlies by a 60-39 margin.
โThey are one of the best offensive rebounding teams in the league. I thought we did well in the first half. In the second half we were playing small. We have to get better even if we are playing small ball,โ said Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins.
However, Memphis did a much better job taking care of the ball. Utah committed 23 turnovers on the night. Fifteen came as the result of steals. Meanwhile, Memphis limited their miscues to nine.
โThat is what we have to do. Turnovers take possessions away from us. We have to continue to take care of the ball. We have to continue to make singles and get the bases loaded,โ said Morant.
Memphis will host the Eastern Conference leading Cleveland Cavaliers at the FedExForum on Friday, March 14. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. The Grizzlies lost the only matchup this season at Cleveland on Feb. 23, 129-123.
