Mitchell outduels Morant, Jazz win over Grizzlies
Donovan Mitchell #45 of the Utah Jazz drives againstJa Morant #12 of the Memphis Grizzlies during a game at Vivint Smart Home Arena on March 26, 2021 in Salt Lake City, Utah.Alex Goodlett/Getty Images/AFP (Photo by Alex Goodlett / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP)
Donovan Mitchell made five 3-pointers and recorded 35 points to help the Utah Jazz post a 117-114 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday night in Salt Lake City.
Rudy Gobert registered 25 points on 11-of-14 shooting and collected nine rebounds as Utah won its fourth straight contest. Bojan Bogdanovic added 17 points and Jordan Clarkson had 14 as the Jazz prevailed in the first of back-to-back games between the teams.
Ja Morant notched 32 points and 11 assists and Dillon Brooks scored 22 points for Memphis, which had a three-game winning streak halted. Grayson Allen added 17 points, Jonas Valanciunas had 14 points and 18 rebounds and Brandon Clarke had 13 points for the Grizzlies.
? MITCHELL x MORANT ?@spidadmitchell: 35 PTS, 6 AST, W@JaMorant: 32 PTS, 11 AST pic.twitter.com/hmrfa2W051
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— NBA (@NBA) March 27, 2021
Memphis trailed the NBA-best Jazz (33-11) by 21 early in the third quarter but pulled within 117-114 on a 3-pointer by Brooks with 34.3 seconds to play. Brooks later had a chance to tie it, but his 3-point attempt caromed off the rim with 5.5 seconds left.
A jump ball was called with 1.9 seconds to go, but Utah’s Mike Conley outleaped Morant, and Derrick Favors retrieved the ball for the Jazz as time expired.
The teams meet again Saturday in Salt Lake City.
Utah shot 45.9 percent from the field and connected on 12 of 33 (36.4 percent) from 3-point range.
The Grizzlies made 45.4 percent of their shots, including 12 of 30 (40 percent) from behind the arc.
Memphis trailed 73-52 before getting back into the game with a 21-9 run in the third quarter. Morant capped it with a layup to pull the Grizzlies within 82-73 with 3:23 left in the period.
Utah led 88-79 entering the final stanza before Gobert scored the team’s next three baskets to increase the margin to 13. The Jazz led 98-81 before Memphis rattled off the next eight to move within nine with 6:38 remaining.
Allen drained a 3-pointer to pull the Grizzlies within 109-101 with 3:16 left, but Mitchell answered with a 3-pointer 16 seconds later.
A short time later, Brooks connected on a 3-pointer as Memphis crept within 112-106 with 2:17 left. Mitchell again had a response, knocking down a 3-pointer 13 seconds later.
Morant converted a three-point play to cut it to six with 1:47 remaining. Mitchell again answered by driving down the lane for a layup with 1:25 left. He scored Utah’s final 10 points.
The Jazz made 16 of 25 field-goal attempts in the opening period while taking a 38-24 lead. Utah held a 66-50 halftime advantage.
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