Grizzlies(26-40) vs Jazz(37-27)

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The Jazz and Grizzlies square off for the fourth time on Friday. Lottery-bound Memphis (26-40) managed to take two of the first three meetings, including both in Salt Lake City. The Jazz averaged 93.3 points per game in those three contests and shot under 40 percent from the field in two of the three.

Utah can draw lessons from back-to-back contests with New Orleans earlier this week on how to handle adversity from the Grizzlies.

Feeding it inside could potentially work better against Memphis than earlier in the season. The Grizzlies are a much different team following deadline trades that included shipping big man Marc Gasol to Toronto. Gasol averaged 17.0 points, 9.3 rebounds, 4.7 assists, and 2.0 steals in three games against Utah, while forcing Gobert away from the basket with his outside shooting.

That doesn't mean Memphis can't hold its own in the paint. Jonas Valanciunas has experienced a bit of a renaissance since coming to the Grizzlies in the Gasol trade. Valanciunas is averaging 18.3 points, 9.1 rebounds, 2.1 assists, and 1.3 blocks in eight games since arriving.

Memphis comes into Friday's game with some positive momentum after rallying to beat Portland 120-111 on Tuesday night behind a career-high 40 points from Mike Conley and a career-high 25 points from Delon Wright. The Grizzlies shot 11-of-16 from the field and registered a season-high 38 points in the fourth quarter.

The Grizzlies won for the third time in five games after Conley shook off a first-quarter ankle injury to score all 40 of his points in the final three quarters, including 19 in the fourth.

Associated Press

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Can the Utah Jazz even the season series with Memphis Grizzlies?



Every NBA team has games they feel they should have won, and two games in particular still stick in the craw of many Jazz coaches and players: a pair of early-season losses at home to the Memphis Grizzlies, some four months ago.

At the time, the games looked like almost-certain wins, considering that the Jazz were picked to finish in the top four or five in the Western Conference, while the Grizzlies were considered a lottery team destined to finish near the bottom.

While the Jazz have made a late-season surge to a playoff position, the Grizzlies have fallen back to where everyone expected them to be at the start and now stand 14th out of 15 teams in the Western Conference.

That should be good news for the Jazz Friday, although the Grizzlies roll into the game off a come-from-behind 120-111 win over Portland, their third win in their last five games. Conley leads Memphis with a 20.4 scoring average and 6.2 assists per game. Other expected starters for the Grizzlies are center Jonas Valanciunas (18.3 ppg), Avery Bradley (17.1 ppg), Justin Holiday (7.5 ppg) and Bruno Caboclo (6.3 ppg).

Deseret News

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