"We Battled. … We Were Right There" | Utah Continues To Fight Hard

The month of January has not been very nice to Utah.

Not only have the Jazz played 10 of 15 games on the road, but they’ve also been hit by injuries and health and safety protocols, playing nearly the entire month shorthanded. Their big three of Donovan Mitchell, Rudy Gobert, and Mike Conley have only played together in four games this month — and Friday night at Memphis was more of the same with Mitchell and Gobert still out.

The shorthanded Jazz had another uphill climb taking on Ja Morant and the Grizzlies. Despite a great showing from Danuel House Jr. and Conley’s typical excellence on offense, Utah couldn’t complete the comeback and fell 119-109 to Memphis. 

“We competed our tails off. … We battled. We were right there,” head coach Quin Snyder said. “The guys were leaving it out there, and that’s what we want to do. … That’s how the guys get better. We played like a hungry team, and that’s what we want to be.”

Once again, Conley continues to prove his value as one of the elite guards in the NBA — even if he doesn’t get that sort of recognition. 

Conley finished with 15 points, six assists, three rebounds, and two rebounds, but his ability to help execute Utah’s offense at a high level made him dominant. In his 30 minutes of playing time, the Jazz were +13 on the night. In the 18 minutes Conley sat, Utah was a -23. 

“No moral victories, but we feel like we’re getting closer and closer to being back to who we are,” Conley said. “I think this time is gonna make us tougher and stronger mentally. … Especially when we get Donovan and Rudy and everybody back.”

Mike Conley has moves, send tweet.#TakeNote | @mconley11 pic.twitter.com/nInwej13uO

— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) January 29, 2022

After it was announced today that House had signed another 10-day contract with the Jazz, he showed again on Friday night why the Jazz are thrilled to have him.

House was an instant spark off the bench in the first half and continued that play throughout the game. He finished with a team-high 21 points, shooting 7-of-11 from the field and 4-for-6 from three-point territory. 

More than just his offense, House continued to give great effort on defense. His hands were active all game long, and he did an excellent job of communicating, which is particularly impressive considering the Grizzlies’ execution of their offense. 

“Guys are competing for minutes,” Snyder said. “When you play hard, good things happen. … When you play unselfish, good things happen. That’s what we did tonight.”

| Season-high 21 points for Danuel #TakeNote | @ZionsBank pic.twitter.com/CPAT8uwBMb

— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) January 29, 2022

Utah came out on fire to start the game, jumping out to an 8-2 lead following back-to-back three-pointers by Royce O’Neale. Memphis battled back to take a five-point lead late in the quarter, but House took over with six straight points as Utah trailed 31-30 at the end of the first quarter. 

Morant got going at the end of the second quarter, igniting an 11-0 run as Memphis jumped out to a 13-point lead. Utah rallied in the end, finishing the quarter on a 7-2 run to trail 59-51 at the break.

The third quarter was up-and-down as Utah was able to trim the deficit to five midway through, but Memphis always had an answer as they responded with a 9-0 run. In the end, the Jazz entered the fourth quarter down 10. 

But Utah is a team that never quits. 

Trailing by 11 midway through the fourth, the Jazz went on a 7-0 run to make it a four-point game with just under five minutes to play. 

After a Morant bucket, Bojan Bogdanovic had a chance to make it a four-point game but missed a shot in which Jaren Jackson Jr. pushed him. It was a play that changed the game’s momentum as the Grizzlies went on an 8-2 run to put the game away.

“You’re not going to go in the locker room and see a bunch of smiles,” Snyder said. “But you’ll probably see some guys that have some pride and can feel good at least about the way they’ve competed. Over the long term, that’s what wins. … Competitors.”

with emphasis, #TakeNote pic.twitter.com/6tXS1sz5AY

— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) January 29, 2022

Bogdanovic finished with 15 points, while O’Neale added 12 points and five rebounds. Eric Paschall and Jordan Clarkson combined for 23 points, leading a solid bench effort in which Utah got 53 points from its reserves. 

Morant finished with a triple-double of 30 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists, while Jaren Jackson Jr. added 18 points, six blocks, and five rebounds. 

Utah ends the month of January on the road when it faces Minnesota on Sunday night. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m. MST.