After winning Game 1 in Utah with all of the odds stacked against them, the Memphis Grizzlies looked like they could be a formidable opponent for the Jazz, but Utah has now won the last three games of this NBA playoff series after beating Memphis 120-113 in Game 4 on Monday night.
Donovan Mitchell and Jordan Clarkson were great in this game for Utah, combining to score 54 points, but it just seems like this team as a whole is built to close out games better than Memphis is in this series. Whether it is Mitchell, Clarkson, Conley or somebody else, you never know who is going to score for the Jazz when it matters most, but for the Grizzlies, it always seems like Ja Morant is the guy for them down the stretch.
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They do not really have that extra spark they can turn to for production, especially with Dillon Brooks in foul trouble, which is why their backs are now up against the wall. De’Anthony Melton was great for the Grizzlies in Game 4 off-the-bench, scoring 15 points, but they are going to need other guys in their starting rotation to step up in Game 5 if they are to extend this series.
Jonas Valanciunas was underwhelming on offense, as was Kyle Anderson, which is why they need to step up early on in Game 5 to make an impact for Memphis so they are not always playing from behind against a high-scoring team in the Jazz.
Memphis won before on the road in Utah, something teams have not been able to do often this season, which is why they are more than capable of winning Game 5 and extending this series, so do not count out Morant and the Grizzlies just yet!
With that said, let’s take a look at the three biggest takeaways from Game 4 that could ultimately impact Game 5 and whoever wins this series moving forward.