National Basketball Association
Utah 82, Memphis 73
When: 6:00 PM ET, Sunday, December 18, 2016
Where: FedExForum, Memphis, Tennessee
Officials: #6 Tony Brown, #14 Ed Malloy, #31 Scott Wall
Attendance: 15862

MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- A stellar defensive effort and a strong inside game from Rudy Gobert helped the Utah Jazz hold on a for a long-scoring win Sunday.

Gordon Hayward scored 22 points, Gobert added 21 points and 12 rebounds, and the Jazz pulled away for an 82-73 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies at FedEx Forum.

Three-pointers by Boris Diaw, Hayward and Shelvin Mack broke open a 66-all tie midway through the fourth quarter. A couple of inside buckets by Gobert, who dominated the paint, helped seal the win for the Jazz (18-10).

Gobert hit all nine of his field goal tries. Hayward made 4 of 7 from beyond the arc and 8 of 9 free throws. Both he and Gobert blocked three shots. Diaw had 11 points, and Rodney Hood and Mack each added 10 for the Jazz, winners of four straight and seven of their past eight.

"This is a hard team to play. Their toughness is apparent. Our guys did a great job responding," Jazz coach Quin Snyder said. "You just hope you're going to make a couple of shots at the end, and we did."

Gobert said, "The open shots were there all game, but we just weren't hitting. We played great defense and finally got some shots to fall in the end."

Heyward added, "Tonight we were getting rebounds, not turning the ball over and getting good looks. The other night (in a 103-100 escape home win over Dallas), we had trouble finding shots down the stretch."

The Grizzlies (18-11) shot a miserable 30.1 percent (28 of 93) from the field, including a blizzard of inside misses trying to beat Gobert. Memphis was even worse from long distance, going 2 of 23.

Mike Conley, in his second game back after sustaining lower back fractures three weeks ago, led the Grizzlies with 14 points in 29 minutes, and Zach Randolph added 12 points and 11 rebounds off the bench. JaMychal Green contributed 10 points and 11 rebounds, but Marc Gasol and Conley shot a combined 7 of 38 for the Grizzlies, who lost for the third time in four games.

"Our offense just can't be this bad," Grizzlies coach David Fizdale said. "If you tell me that between my best two players we are going 7-for-38, I would tell you you were lying ... You can see that they are just out of rhythm with each other. Some of it was that Utah just got after us."

Conley said, "I better conditioning-wise than I did the last game, but with players coming back into the lineup, it's a matter of getting into rhythm. We rushed a lot of shots. I need to be more patient and not try to get it all back in one or two games."

He also said that down the stretch, "We let them set their feet on too many big shots, and it broke our spirit. Instead of going to the next play, we kind of hung our head. We can't do that against good teams."

On trying to regain chemistry with the returning players, Gasol said, "You want them to feel comfortable, get back their rhythm and timing, but it's not always easy. You have to adjust and be positive. ...

"You have to give Utah credit for making plays when they needed them. ... We've won a lot of close games like that; now we've lost a couple. You have to stay with it and not overreact."

Both teams shot below 36 percent from the field in the first half, and 3 of 26 from distance. But the Grizzlies' bench, led by Randolph and Vince Carter, helped erase an 18-6 first-quarter deficit. Memphis reserves had a 24-7 bulge at halftime with Randolph and Carter scoring six apiece and Jarell Martin and James Ennis III chipping in five.

A Conley 3-pointer gave Memphis a 54-50 lead with 4:11 left in the third quarter. Mack triggered an 11-4 run with two baskets and Hood closed it with two more as the Jazz led 61-58 going into the final period.

NOTES: Memphis F James Ennis (calf strain) was back Sunday after a two-week absence. ... Jazz PG George Hill (toe) remains day-to-day, Jazz coach Quin Snyder said. ... Memphis C Marc Gasol began the day averaging nearly 24 points, eight rebounds and five assists in December. "He's been the best player in the league the last 10 days," Snyder said. However, Gasol was limited to eight points, seven rebounds and four assists Sunday. ... Utah plays at Golden State on Tuesday. Memphis play host to Boston.
Top Game Performances
 
Utah   Memphis
Gordon Hayward 22 Scoring Mike Conley 14
Gordon Hayward 6 Assists Mike Conley 4
Rudy Gobert 12 Rebounds JaMychal Green 11
Gordon Hayward 8 Free Throws Made Mike Conley 7
Gordon Hayward 2 Steals Tony Allen 2
Derrick Favors 4 Blocks JaMychal Green 1
Team Stats Summary
 
Team Points FG% 3PM-3PA FTM-FTA Assists Rebounds Blocks Steals Turnovers
Utah 82 45.5 8-27 14-25 18 42 11 4 15
Memphis 73 30.1 2-23 15-18 12 48 1 8 11
Upcoming Games
  • Memphis will play their next game at home against Boston. The Grizzlies have a W/L % of .556 after a win and .727 after a loss.
  • Utah will play their next game on the road against Golden State. The Jazz have a W/L % of .647 after a win and .636 after a loss.