Dillon Brooks and Ja Morant lead Memphis Grizzlies to shock victory over top-seeded Utah Jazz
Dillon Brooks set a new Grizzlies single-game franchise scoring record for a player making their NBA playoff debut with 31 points as Memphis won 112-109 over the top seed Utah Jazz.
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Brooks surpassed the 24 points scored by Marc Gasol against San Antonio on April 17, 2011 as the eighth-seeded Grizzlies put the Jazz, who were without star scorer Donovan Mitchell, in an early hole in the opening game of their first-round playoff series.
Ja Morant added 26 points, Jonas Valanciunas chipped in 15 points and 12 rebounds, and Kyle Anderson added 14 points and a career-high 6 steals for Memphis.
Memphis Grizzlies
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 as the former Memphis star returned to the postseason with a double-double. Rudy Gobert added 15 rebounds and 11 points, and Derrick Favors finished with 12 points and 11 rebounds.
Bogdanovic hit five free throws in the final minute to help Utah cut Memphis’ lead to 110-109 with 6.4 seconds left. Brooks made a layup at the other end, and Bogdanovic missed a 3-point try with 1.9 seconds left that would have forced overtime.
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Mitchell was a late scratch from the lineup while rehabbing his sprained right ankle. He has not appeared in a game for the Jazz since April 16.
The Jazz struggled to generate consistent offense in his absence. Utah shot just 12 of 47 from 3-point range.
Utah cut a double-digit deficit to 60-59 following a layup by Bogdanovic. Then, Brooks took over. He scored 14 points on 7-of-10 shooting in the third quarter. Brooks capped off his scoring flurry with back-to-back baskets that extended the Grizzlies’ lead to 78-68.
Memphis led by as many as 17 points in the fourth, going up 94-77 on a jumper from Tyus Jones, before the Jazz rallied late.
Utah experienced a dry spell on offense through much of the first quarter. The Jazz made a single basket over a seven-minute stretch while committing six turnovers. The Jazz committed eight total turnovers in the quarter.
Utah Jazz
Memphis went ahead 17-14 on a three-point play by Dillon Brooks, but could not gain further ground against the Jazz defense.
The Grizzlies missed 14 straight shots over a seven-minute stretch spanning the first and second quarters. It opened the door for Utah’s 15-0 run, highlighted by back-to-back baskets by Gobert for a 29-17 lead.
Memphis answered with a 31-7 run, starting late in the second quarter and went ahead 53-43 early in the third. Brooks and Morant combined for six baskets and 17 points to fuel the spurt.
It proved enough for them to cling on for a shock win heading down the stretch. Game 2 of the series is in Utah on Wednesday night.
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