Conley’s fourth quarter leads Jazz past Grizzlies 111-107

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Mike Conley scored 13 of his 26 points in the fourth quarter, Jordan Clarkson added 24 points and the Utah Jazz beat the Memphis Grizzlies 111-107 on Wednesday night for their seventh straight victory.

Bojan Bogdanovic added 23 points for Utah, which defeated Memphis for the third time in a week, this time overcoming 36 points from Grizzlies guard Ja Morant.

Kyle Anderson had 18 points and 11 rebounds for Memphis, and Dillon Brooks finished with 17 points. Jonas Valanciunas added 16 points and 14 rebounds.

Leading scorer Donovan Mitchell was not with the Jazz for personal reasons. Mitchell was on the team’s original charter flight out of Salt Lake City before it was forced to return to the airport after striking a flock of birds on Tuesday.

The Jazz led through most of three quarters but couldn’t stretch it beyond 10. Memphis stayed close enough to take a lead into the final frame.

The teams were still tied at the midway point of the fourth, but the Jazz stretched the advantage little by little. While the Grizzlies got close, including 109-107 on Morant’s two free throws with 7.3 seconds left, the Grizzlies couldn’t overtake Utah.

Two free throws by Royce O’Neal with 3.9 seconds left provided the final margin.

Memphis held its first lead of the game late in the third when Morant converted two free throws — part of his 13 points in the quarter — giving the Grizzlies a 76-75 lead heading to the fourth.

Utah used 15 points off the bench from Clarkson and 11 from Conley to carry a 57-49 lead into halftime.

TIP-INS

Jazz: Have won six straight in the series. … With Mitchell back in Utah, Joe Ingles started with Conley at guard. … Ingles passed Andrei Kirilenko for fifth on the Jazz’s career assists list. Kirilenko had 1,920.

Grizzlies: G Grayson Allen, injured in a fall to the floor early in Monday’s win over Houston, sat out left hip soreness. Rookie Desmond Bane started his 11th game of the season. … F Brandon Clarke missed the game for personal reasons.

DEALING WITH TRAUMA

Jazz coach Quin Snyder addressed the emotions the team dealt with after Tuesday’s episode when their charter jet struck a flock of birds, damaging the craft enough that pilots returned to Salt Lake City. Snyder said there were 10-15 minutes where the crew assessed the damage, adding that period was “a traumatic and eerie feeling.” He talked about the situation Wednesday morning with the team, noting the “fragility that we all live with.”

“In hindsight, you have a gratitude and appreciation for the many relationships we all have,” Snyder said. “Those are things we say and we mean, but in those times, we truly feel is at a heightened level.”

UP NEXT

Jazz: Host Chicago Bulls on Friday

Grizzlies: Host Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday.


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