The Memphis Grizzlies picked up right where they left off in the play-in tournament.
After winning two do-or-die games just to get to the playoffs, the Grizzlies defeated the Utah Jazz 112-109 in Game 1 of their Western Conference first-round series Sunday at Vivint Smart Home Arena. Utah nearly erased a 17-point fourth quarter deficit, but Bojan Bogdanovic missed a three that would have forced overtime.
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Ja Morant and Dillon Brooks led the way for the visitors, who were much better than when they lost all three regular-season matchups against the Jazz.
Game 2 of the series is on Wednesday.
Utah never found a rhythm from the perimeter, shooting just 12 of 47 from long distance. Defensively, the Jazz couldn’t stop Canadian Dillon Brooks for long stretches.
Brooks, of Mississauga, Ont., had 31 points and seven rebounds to lead the Grizzlies. He set a single-game franchise scoring record for a Memphis player making a playoff debut, surpassing the 24 points scored by Marc Gasol against San Antonio on April 17, 2011. He brings a lot of energy to the floor, guard Ja Morant said. As soon as we get here in the locker room, he’s already active and loud and carries it onto the floor for us during the game. We just continue to play off of him. I think everybody on this team gets a lot of energy from him, just seeing how active he is on the floor.
May 24, 2021
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) Dillon Brooks had 31 points and seven rebounds and the Memphis Grizzlies beat the Utah Jazz 112-109 Sunday night in the opening game of their first-round playoff series.
The eighth-seeded Grizzlies put the Western Conference top-seeded Jazz in an early hole. Game 2 of the series is Wednesday night.
Brooks set a single-game franchise scoring record for a Memphis player making their NBA playoff debut, surpassing the 24 points scored by Marc Gasol against San Antonio on April 17, 2011.
Ja Morant added 26 points. Jonas Valanciunas chipped in 15 points and 12 rebounds, and Kyle Anderson added 14 points.
Bojan Bogdanovic scored 20 of his 29 points in the fourth quarter to lead the Jazz. Mike Conley had 22 points, 11 assists, and six rebounds. Rudy Gobert added 15 rebounds and 11 points, and Derrick Favors finished with 12 points and 11 rebounds.
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