By Michael Wallace
Grind City Media
SALT LAKE CITY – At times this season, it seems as if building chemistry and continuity has been a foreign concept for the Grizzlies through a turbulent start.
But for one of the few times so far this season, Memphis’ key veterans found themselves in complete agreement on one of the main factors that contributed to Monday’s 102-96 victory over the Utah Jazz. After squandering a double-digit lead, the Grizzlies had to sweat out the final minute to secure the win.
But to a man, they believed the foundation for their first road victory of the season was set a day earlier as players emerged from a brutal film session that led to a two-hour practice.
“Coach really got into us (Sunday) and woke a lot of guys up, and you saw our effort defensively,” Grizzlies’ point guard Mike Conley said of coach David Fizdale’s tongue lashing that lingered into Monday’s game. “He definitely lit a fire under us and we came out with a sense of urgency.”
According to several Grizzlies’ players, Fizdale targeted the bulk of his criticism toward the high-profile veterans. That meant Conley, Zach Randolph, Marc Gasol and Vince Carter were at the front of the line for what amounted to an accountability session. The Grizzlies were forced to take inventory of their effort after many of their defensive struggles were exposed in Saturday’s 10-point loss to the Bucks, who scored a combined 77 points in the paint and at the foul line, with 24 coming on Memphis turnovers.
What followed was a lengthy practice once the team arrived in Utah on Sunday, followed by an extended shootaround at the Jazz’s arena hours before Monday’s game. The Grizzlies addressed many of their nagging problems against a shorthanded Jazz team that was without starting guards George Hill and Rodney Hood, who combine to average nearly 40 points a game.
The Grizzlies responded with their highest-scoring first quarter of the season when they led 33-25 after 12 minutes. They outrebounded the Jazz 44-29 and scored 52 points in the paint, including 20 after securing offensive boards to extend possessions.
“I feel like this is the best four quarters we have put together,” Fizdale said. “Guys want to win – they really want this. This win was critical for us. I wouldn’t say it was a must-win by any means, because we have a really connected group. But just for our confidence, for us to get a little closer and a little more trust, we needed to go win in a tough environment. We really overcame a lot.”
That included overcoming some of their own troubling tendencies.
“I think what happened (Sunday) did something to us,” Randolph said. “When you get on us and get into us, we have to respond. But the main thing is we have to come out with that edge every night.”
The Grizzlies look to maintain that edge when their four-game road trip stops in Los Angeles for Wednesday’s game against the Clippers before it wraps up Friday in Dallas. The Clippers have the league’s best record and blew out the Grizzlies two weeks ago in Memphis.
“It’s never easy to win on the road, but we’ll keep working at it,” Gasol said. “We were better than we had been before.”
TURNING POINT
After a skittish third quarter, the Grizzlies ended up squandering all of a double-digit lead but closed the game with a dominant stretch on both ends of the court. A 9-2 spurt late in the fourth quarter put the Grizzlies ahead to stay, and it started with a step-back, three-pointer from Conley. Defensively, the Grizzlies forced two turnovers and pressured the Jazz into missing three of four shots during the run that created enough breathing room for Memphis to hold on for the win.
HIGHLIGHT REEL
It was another vintage performance for Vince Carter, who delivered his second 20-point game off the bench in as many weeks. But the 39-year-old Carter cemented Monday’s win when Conley circled around two defenders near midcourt and fired a bounce pass to Carter with the shot clock winding down. Carter slipped free along the baseline, caught the pass in stride and finished with an emphatic flush to give the Grizzlies a 96-90 lead with 54.7 seconds left to play.
WHO SHINED
Zach Randolph. Adjusting to a fulltime role off the bench for the first time in his eight seasons has hardly been easy for Randolph. But what can’t be denied is the fact that he’s had some of the most efficient games of his career in reduced minutes. That was the case again Monday, when he registered his third double-double of the season with 18 points and 10 rebounds in 23 minutes while going against a Utah frontline that is one of the defensively rugged in the league. Randolph shot 7-of-13 from the field and added five offensive rebounds to help keep critical possessions alive for Memphis. He no longer starts, but Randolph has recently played more minutes alongside Gasol to help both get into a comfort zone.
UPSIDE/DOWNSIDE
The fact that Memphis is 5-5 through the first 10 games only underscores the team’s split personality. The upside from Monday’s win was a sensational first quarter in which the Grizzlies scored a season-high 33 points, shot 60 percent from the field, led by seven and committed just one turnover. But over the second and third quarters combined, the Grizzlies missed 19 of 35 shots and committed 11 turnovers to allow the Jazz to get back into the game. There remains an identity crisis with this team amid its quest for chemistry and consistency. “We saw what we can be,” Conley said of his team’s execution in the first 12 minutes. “We just have to find a way to sustain it and build on what works.”
ROTATION DEVELOPMENT
Fizdale was forced to scramble and improvise a bit once starting shooting guard James Ennis picked up his third foul early in the second quarter. That forced Chandler Parsons to play more minutes in the first half than he otherwise would have been used. Parsons played 15 of his 23 minutes in the first half on a night when Fizdale tightened the rotation to only eight players who saw more than 14 minutes. Another rotation development came in the first half, when rookie big man Deyonta Davis played for the first time in four games and added two points, three rebounds a steal and solid rim protection in 13 minutes. At 6-11 and 240 pounds, Davis’ size and defensive mindset should continue to earn him opportunities on a second unit that desperately needs a consistent defensive presence in the paint.
GAME RECAP
Grizzlies earn road win in Utah
WHAT’S NEXT
Grizzlies vs. Los Angeles Clippers at Staples Center, 9:30 pm (TV: ESPN /Radio: Grizzlies Pregame Show 92.9 FM ESPN, 9:00 p.m.)
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