Field Level Media
Feb 7, 2018
Ricky Rubio had 29 points and eight rebounds, and the Utah Jazz posted their season-best seventh consecutive victory by defeating the Memphis Grizzlies 92-88 on Wednesday at FedExForum in Memphis, Tenn.
Rodney Hood added 18 points as Utah completed a 4-0 road trip. Hood made all eight of his free-throw attempts as part of the Jazz's 28-of-33 effort from the line. Utah's Rudy Gobert collected 12 rebounds and scored eight points.
Andrew Harrison scored a season-best 23 points to lead Memphis, which has lost five straight games and seven of its last eight. Marc Gasol added 20 points and Dillon Brooks and JaMychal Green each tallied 11, but the Grizzlies shot just 42 percent from the field, including 8 of 23 (34.8 percent) from 3-point range.
Memphis held out leading scorer Tyreke Evans (19.5 points per game) for the fifth straight game as the franchise hopes to move him prior to Thursday's trading deadline.
Utah kept its winning streak going despite committing 20 turnovers and shooting 42 percent from the field, including 6 of 22 (27.3 percent) from 3-point range.
The Jazz led 80-69 with 7:41 remaining after Hood hit a free throw after Memphis coach J.B. Bickerstaff drew his second technical foul of the night to earn an ejection.
The Grizzlies crept within 84-77 on Gasol's 3-pointer with 3:37 left. Memphis had an opportunity to move within four negated when Mario Chalmers was called for an offensive foul while driving to the hoop due to tossing an elbow into Rubio's chest with 1:26 left.
Rubio connected on a jumper on the other end and added two free throws to make it 92-82 with 38.6 seconds to play to all but seal it.
"I'm feeling good, I work hard for these moments," Rubio, acquired in the offseason from the Minnesota Timberwolves, said during a postgame television interview. "I had a tough time adjusting to a new team, and I think I finally got it to click and I'm feeling good."
Memphis trailed by seven more than five minutes into the third quarter before using an 11-4 run, capped by Green's 3-pointer, to knot the score at 58 with 4:37 left. Utah answered with a 10-3 surge -- Joe Johnson tallied the final five -- to take a seven-point lead with 1:23 to play in the quarter before taking a 68-63 edge into the final quarter.
Rubio scored 16 first-half points to help the Jazz hold a 44-39 lead at the break.
--Field Level Media