Jazz 124, Grizzlies 123: 4 Winners, 2 Losers
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The Utah Jazz continue to chalk up the wins despite being a projected bottom-five team in most preseason power rankings.
An electric crowd and clutch three-point shooting led the Jazz to a 124-123 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies on Saturday night. Kelly Olynyk and Lauri Markkanen led the Jazz with 23 points, while Jordan Clarkson chipped in 21.
Memphis shooting guard Desmond Bane led all scorers with 32 points in a losing cause.
It was a back-and-forth affair all night and came down to some timely three-point shooting in the fourth quarter. Olynyk knocked down a 27-footer at the 1:08 mark to give the Jazz a one-point lead which was followed up by a 25-footer from Malik Beasley with 23 seconds left to go up four.
The Grizzlies still had a chance to win it in regulation with 1.4 seconds left and the ball, but fumbled the inbound pass as time expired.
Let's break down the winners and losers in the nail-biter in Salt Lake City.
Winner: Nickeil Alexander-Walker
Alexander-Walker was impressive Friday night against the Denver Nuggets and was rewarded with a bigger role against the Grizzlies. Prior to Saturday's game, the shooting guard from Canada had only logged 14 minutes all season, but on Saturday, night Alexander-Walker logged 21 minutes and scored 11 points while knocking down two three-pointers.
Alexander-Walker even earned some post-game props from Jazz coach Will Hardy.
Loser: Rudy Gay
Was this game the tipping point to take the veteran out of the rotation? Ochai Agbaji and Alexander-Waker have made their case while Gay recovers from Covid.
Agbaji needs the reps to develop, and at this point, Gay’s trade value is set in stone. The Jazz would be hard-pressed to find a reason not to make a change.
Winner: Kelly Olynyk
Olynyk was a major contributor Saturday night, scoring 23 points on 8-for-10 shooting while knocking down four three-pointers. The veteran center acquired in the Bojan Bogdanovic trade has made himself at home in Salt Lake City.
Olynyk is playing a position that was supposed to be Utah’s biggest weakness after the Rudy Gobert trade, but has turned it into a strength. Having a center that can stretch the floor is something Jazz fans can get used to.
Winner: Collin Sexton
Sexton got his first start of the season due to veteran Mike Conley not suiting up with a rest day. The flashy point guard that was acquired in the Donovan Mitchell trade showed why the Jazz brain trust signed him to a four-year, $71 million contract.
Sexton finished the game with 19 points on 7-for-12 shooting and knocked down a trio of three-pointers. He brings a lot of energy to the game and is becoming a fan favorite.
Winner: Jazz Crowd
Props to the crowd that showed up at Vivint Arena. Don't tell Jazz fans that losing is winning in a season where all the talk has been tanking the season.
The home crowd was electric, and even the Grizzlies TV announcers noted how impressed they were with the atmosphere despite it only being the seventh game of the season.
Loser: Jazz First-Round Pick via Brooklyn
Jazz fans will be rooting against the Brooklyn Nets and Philadelphia 76ers all year for better draft position. Utah will receive the pick of the team that finishes with the better record.
The Nets are floundering, but the 76ers just won two games on the road against quality opponents (Chicago and Toronto.) Philadelphia looks to be rebounding after a 1-4 start.
Follow Patrick on Twitter @pbyrnesNBA.