Unexpected statlines headline Jazz's final home game

In what was labeled the “Tanking Super Bowl” by ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, it was apparent that neither the Utah Jazz nor the Memphis Grizzlies wanted to win 

That didn’t stop a couple of Utah players from making history in their 147-101 victory over Memphis.

In the span of one possession, two Jazz players recorded triple-doubles. On the offensive side of the court, John Konchar laid the ball up and in for his 11th point of the game as he recorded his second-straight triple-double and third of his career.

Konchar finished with 11 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists while also picking up five steals and two blocks.

On the ensuring Grizzlies possession, Bez Mbeng skied for a rebound to give him 10 on the night as part of his 27-point, 11-assist, 10-rebound performance. 

Both Konchar and Mbeng came off the bench in Friday’s game where they not only became the first pair of Jazz teammates to each record a triple-double in the same game, but the first pair of NBA teammates to reach that feat while coming off the bench. 

Will Hardy singled out Konchar & Mbeng afterward

The Jazz head coach praised both Konchar and Mbeng for their performance in his postgame press conference.

“They're both tough, competitive, glue type winning players that for them to get a statistical output like that, is so cool for them because they deserve it with how unselfishly they go about their business,” Hardy said.

Mbeng, who grabbed his first-career triple-double, said he did not realize that he and Konchar made history with the pair of triple-doubles.

“That is crazy for sure, really cool stat, " Mbeng said. “Two guys off the bench get a triple double, I mean, that's kind of unheard of. The fact it was the last (home) game of the season too so these fans can experience that, really cool.” 

The stat party didn’t end there, as Kennedy Chandler and Ace Bailey both recorded their first career double-doubles with Chandler pouring in 26 points and tallying a career-high 10 assists. Bailey finished with 23 points and 10 rebounds.

Big man Oscar Tshiebwe also picked up a double-double by posting 16 points and career-high 22 rebounds. To finish it all off was Blake Hinson, who dropped a career-high 30 points.

On the Memphis side, Jahmai Mashack picked up a triple-double of his own with 13 points, 15 rebounds, and 12 assists while playing all 48 minutes.

Mbeng recently signed a guaranteed deal with Utah but his future with the team is unclear with a team option looming on his contract. Konchar on the other hand, is locked in with the Jazz with one more year left on his deal and he’s excited to have another year left with the team.

“It's definitely awesome,” Konchar said. “I hope I'm around here next year. I love the team, love the front office, love the coaches, so it's been fun.” 

Time will tell whether or not Konchar or Mbeng are on the roster next season but they’ve shown the ability to play a variety of roles. Whether it's as a scorer, playmaker, or defender, the duo could add some versatility off the bench to what should be a strong starting lineup next season.