NBA: Jazz bounce back with rout of Grizzlies to even series

Utah Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell (centre) taking a three-point shot against the Memphis Grizzlies during the NBA playoff game on May 26, 2021. PHOTO: REUTERS

SALT LAKE CITY (REUTERS) - Donovan Mitchell returned to lead a balanced attack that overpowered a career-best, 47-point performance by Ja Morant and allowed the Utah Jazz to even their Western Conference play-off series against the Memphis Grizzlies with a 141-129 victory on Wednesday (May 26) at the Vivint Arena.

Mitchell, who finished with a team-high 25 points, bombed in five three-pointers in 10 tries. Teammates Mike Conley and Joe Ingles buried three apiece as the top-seeded Jazz, who led the NBA in the regular season in both most three-pointers made and fewest allowed, dominated the eighth-seeded Grizzlies from beyond the arc to offset an upset loss in the series opener.

The scene shifts to Memphis with the Grizzlies hosting Game 3 on Saturday.

With Mitchell still nursing a sprained right ankle, Memphis shocked the West's regular-season champions by holding them to 12-for-47 (25.5 per cent) accuracy on three-pointers in Game 1.

But Utah came out firing in the next match, nailing 10 treys in the first half alone en route to a 74-54 lead at the break.

Morant and Dillon Brooks, who missed most of the first half in foul trouble, hit three hoops apiece in a 27-12 Grizzlies flurry in the latter stages of the third quarter to get Memphis within 96-93.

But Jordan Clarkson dropped in three free throws, Rudy Gobert threw down two dunks and Mitchell completed a three-point play in a 10-0 Utah burst bridging the third and fourth quarters that extended the lead back to double figures, and the Jazz kept Memphis at arm's length the rest of the way.

Gobert shot 9-for-11 en route to 21 points and a double-double with a game-high 13 rebounds for Utah, who hit 54.4 per cent of their shots overall and 48.7 per cent (19-for-39) on three-pointers.

Conley also recorded a double-double with a game-high 15 assists to complement his 20 points, while Bojan Bogdanovic (18), Clarkson (16), Royce O'Neale (14) and Ingles (14) made it seven Utah players scoring in double figures.

Morant's 47 points surpassed his previous career-high of 44 set in December against San Antonio. He made 15 field goals, including a pair of three-pointers, and a career-best 15 free throws en route to his total.

The second-year standout also found time for a team-high seven assists.

Brooks finished with 23 points for Memphis, who had double-figure scoring from all five starters but a total of just 14 points from five reserves.

Jonas Valanciunas had 18 points, Jaren Jackson Jr. 16 and Kyle Anderson 11 for the Grizzlies, who also shot well overall (54.1 per cent) but struggled to 8-for-23 (34.8 per cent) on three-pointers.

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