The Utah Jazz came out of Memphis with a loss, but they also walked away with something they have not always had in tough games this season: a real fight.
A night that already had plenty working against Utah got even more difficult when Lauri Markkanen and Jaren Jackson Jr. both went down with injuries. In a season that has already featured scoring eruptions from Ty Jerome and Luka Doncic, that kind of setback could have turned the game into a quick collapse. Instead, the Jazz kept pushing and made the Grizzlies earn every bit of it.
This was a much sharper response than the opening-night meeting between the teams, when Memphis won by 20. On this second matchup, Utah refused to let the game drift away.
Keyonte George, Ace Bailey, and Mo Bamba(?) helped keep Memphis uncomfortable, and the Jazz made sure the Grizzlies could not coast.
Utah also managed to make Jerome look human while shutting off Cameron Boozer’s water. Add in the unexpected lift from Josh Green, who seemed expendable before this game, and there was enough from the Jazz to make this feel like more than just another loss on the ledger.
That is why the 1-3 start has a different feel to it than a typical rough opening. The defeats have brought plenty of moral victories, but they have also shown something more concrete: the Jazz are competing.
After giving the Los Angeles Lakers everything they could handle yesterday, Utah showed again that the foundation looks solid. Getting useful minutes from Bamba and Green is exactly the kind of outcome the Jazz want from the back end of the roster. They were not the flashiest offseason additions, but they changed the game in ways no one really expected.
For a team still working through the early stages of the season, that matters. Nights like this offer proof that Utah can hang with tough competition, even when the lineup gets hit hard. The wins may not be coming yet, but the way the Jazz are losing is giving them reasons to believe.
In Other News...
Jazz Suddenly Face A Lauri Markkanen Concern They Can't Afford
Lauri Markkanens night against the Grizzlies took an early turn when he exited after a wrist issue, leaving the Jazz to wonder just how serious the setback might be. For a team already thin up front because of other injuries, even a short-term absence from its top frontcourt scorer would be a tough break to absorb.
The concern is not just about one game, but about how Utah would patch together its rotation if Markkanen has to miss time. He was ruled out after heading to the locker room, and with the exact extent of the injury still unclear, the Jazz are left waiting on the kind of update no team wants when its frontcourt depth is already stretched. [Read more 🡒]
Ace Bailey Is Suddenly Part Of A Jazz Problem Fans Know Too Well
The Jazz have been living with the same frontcourt question for a while, and it has only gotten sharper after Walker Kessler was sent to the Lakers in a sign-and-trade. With the center spot suddenly looking thin and no clean long-term answer in place, Utah is still searching for a way to hold up on the glass and keep its interior rotation from becoming a nightly problem.
Ace Bailey offered a reminder of why the Jazz are so intrigued by his upside in a recent game against Los Angeles, where his energy on the boards stood out in a matchup that exposed Utahs need. Even with other bodies available, the fit at center remains murky, and the Jazz are left hoping a young wing can help patch over a problem that usually takes more than hustle alone to solve. [Read more 🡒]
Blazers Just Showed Why This Roster Could Be Tougher To Defend
The Timberwolves got another early-season look at what their new point guard can do in a home setting, and even with foul trouble limiting his night, he still left a mark. He finished with 15 points, eight assists and two steals in just 16 minutes, a useful reminder of how quickly Minnesota can put pressure on an opponent when the ball is moving and the tempo is right.
For the Jazz, the broader lesson is less about one box score and more about the kind of test this Northwest Division race can become. Minnesota is 3-0, Rudy Gobert said he has not changed the way he plays, and other teams in the division are already dealing with their own issues and stretches of uneven play. The challenge for Utah is clear enough even before the schedule tightens: there are a few teams in this group built to make life uncomfortable on both ends. [Read more 🡒]