Game thread: Can Utah Jazz finally make a statement against the Memphis Grizzlies?
The Utah Jazz will look to get out of their current slump when they face the lackluster Memphis Grizzlies yet again on Saturday.
Things haven’t exactly been rosy for the Utah Jazz of late. They’ve lost five out of their last six games, and quite possibly would have lost six straight had it not been for a comeback effort against the Memphis Grizzlies last week.
The Grizzlies have become a familiar foe for the Jazz and are about to become even more so on Saturday as the Utah Jazz will face them yet again for the third time this season. Although Memphis is a meager 6-15 on the year, they’ve still presented a challenging matchup for Utah.
They jumped out to a double-figure lead in the first half last contest, and the Jazz had to grind out a comeback win to arise victorious. Prior to that, the Jazz actually helped the Grizz earn one of their six victories by playing one of their uglier games which resulted in a one-point loss in Mike Conley‘s return to his former team.
With that backdrop set, the Jazz will look to get back on track on Saturday in what will feel very much like a desperately-needed win. Due to, not only the recent losses, but simply the recent poor play in general, there is no small amount of angst among Jazz fans and the players that the team will look to erase.
Several strong teams have been able to blow out the young Memphis Grizzlies, and the Jazz will hope to make a statement of their own against them in this upcoming bout. The Grizzlies have played just eight games on the road as opposed to 13 at home, so stacking up against a veteran team like the Jazz in a hard away environment should be a challenge for them.
Even so, it will still be vital that the Jazz find a way to execute far better than they have of late to break their slump and get some of their lost confidence back.
Game Data
Broadcast Info
Tip-off: 8:00 PM MT on December 7 from Vivint Smart Home Arena in Salt Lake City, UT
TV: AT&T SportsNet
Radio: The Zone Sports Network (97.5 FM & 1280 AM Salt Lake City)
Projected Starting Lineups
| Utah Jazz | Position | Memphis Grizzlies |
| Rudy Gobert | C | Jonas Valanciunas |
| Royce O’Neale | PF | Jaren Jackson Jr. |
| Bojan Bogdanovic | SF | Jae Crowder |
| Donovan Mitchell | SG | Dillon Brooks |
| Mike Conley | PG | Tyus Jones |
Injuries
On the Grizzlies’ side, Kyle Anderson is dealing with a heel injury and is doubtful for the contest. Also, projected starter Dillon Brooks is questionable with right shoulder soreness, but I’m going to go ahead and predict that he will indeed play.
Meanwhile for the Jazz, Mike Conley sat out against the Los Angeles Lakers with left hamstring tightness and is once again listed as questionable for the bout. He may very well find himself sidelined a second time, but considering that originally the injury wasn’t believed to be too bad, and that he’ll likely want another chance to redeem himself against his old team after playing poorly against them twice, I believe he’ll suit up as well.
Prediction
The Grizzlies have given the Jazz all kinds of problems, and the way Utah has been playing lately, I’m not so certain they could beat a G-League team. However, I’m confident that after two much-needed days off between games, this contest will be a big bounce-back for the Jazz wherein they’ll rediscover their swagger and get the win.
The Action Network has Utah listed as 12-point favorites, and I find that pretty reasonable, assuming they can get back into a more befitting groove. I’ll go with Utah winning 110-98.
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Discussion
#MEMatUTA is the Twitter hashtag for the upcoming bout. The live comment thread below will be up and rolling throughout the game as well. Go Jazz!