MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) Gordon Hayward scored 22 points and Rudy Gobert had 21 points, 12 rebounds and three blocks, helping the Utah Jazz win a defensive battle with the Memphis Grizzlies 82-73 on Sunday night.
The win – Utah’s fourth straight and seventh in the last eight – came after the Jazz broke open a close game with about four minutes remaining. Boris Diaw, Hayward and Shelvin Mack connected on a trio of 3-pointers, turning a 66-all tie into a Jazz victory. Diaw had 11 points and Mack had 10.
Mike Conley led Memphis with 14 points, while Zach Randolph had 12 points and 11 rebounds. JaMychal Green added 10 points and 11 rebounds.
Memphis managed only 30 percent shooting against the aggressive Jazz defense. That included the Grizzlies converting only 2 of 23 shots from outside the arc.
The game featured two of the league’s top defensive teams. Both entered limiting opponents to 42.9 percent shooting. Utah is first in fewest points allowed at 95.4 a game, and Memphis is third at 97.3.
The Grizzlies ended with their lowest-scoring game of the season.
Conley was 3 of 16 for Memphis. Marc Gasol was 4 of 22, managing a mere eight points. He also missed all five shots from outside the arc.
Meanwhile, Utah made 46 percent of its shots, including 30 percent from outside the arc. Gobert converted all nine of his field goal attempts, many of them on rolls to the basket resulting in alley-oop dunks.
The game remained close throughout with 14 lead changes and 15 ties. In the third quarter alone, there were five lead changes and four ties.
Neither team led by more than four points in the third and Utah carried a 61-58 lead into the fourth thanks to nine points from Hayward in the quarter.
After Utah took an early 12-point lead, there were nine ties and seven lead changes in the first half, the last switch allowing Memphis to carry a 35-34 lead at the break.
The score matched the season low for a half for Utah and equaled a season-low first half for Memphis.
Neither team shot better than 35.1 percent in the first half and both committed at least a half-dozen turnovers. There was little flow to the game thanks to both teams deflecting passes and poking away dribbles.
TIP-INS
JAZZ: Over the previous 10 games, Gobert had held opposing centers to 8.7 points and 5.6 rebounds. Gasol had eight points and seven rebounds. … Utah also scored 34 points in the second half against Chicago on Nov. 17. … Gobert recorded his 18th double-double. … Hayward has 16 games with at least 20 points. … Utah tied its season mark for blocks with 11.
Grizzlies: Defeated Utah 102-96 on Nov. 14, the start of a six-game winning streak for Memphis. … F James Ennis returned to action after missing 14 games with a right calf injury. Ennis, who started 13 of the 14 games he played before the injury, came off the bench against the Jazz. … Vince Carter entered in the first quarter, tying Mark Jackson for 20th in career regular season games played with 1,295.
HILL ON HOLD
Jazz guard George Hill missed his ninth game with a sprained left big toe, and coach Quin Snyder suggested his return wasn’t imminent. ”I guess I’m hopeful,” Snyder said. ”I don’t know exactly where it is, whether it is a week or two weeks. … I don’t think it is day-to-day. It’s days-to-days, week-to-week. I don’t really know what to call it.”
UP NEXT
Jazz: Travel to Golden State to face the Warriors on Tuesday night before playing two home games – against Sacramento and Toronto – before Christmas.
Grizzlies: Wrap up a four-game homestand Tuesday night with the Boston Celtics.
