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Jazz Fall to Grizzlies Again as Injuries Add to Early-Season StrugglesAs
- Story by
- Jazz Fall to Grizzlies Again as Injuries Add to Early-Season StrugglesAs
(Peter Creveling-Imagn Images)
The Utah Jazz simply haven't come out of the gates this season as strong as many expected, and Monday night was another opportunity to earn a win over a team that entered the season projected to be less competitive than Utah. But for the second time already this season, the Memphis Grizzlies got the best of the Jazz. This time, it was a 110-105 final score as Utah fell to 1-3 on the season.
The biggest storyline outside of the box score was the injuries to two of Utah's most important players. Lauri Markkanen played just six minutes and Jaren Jackson Jr. played only 10 minutes before exiting the contest. Initial reports suggest Markkanen suffered a wrist injury and Jackson a knee injury, though the official diagnoses and outlooks remain unclear.
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Another major storyline entering this matchup was the battle between two of the top rookies from the 2026 NBA Draft class. Cameron Boozer, selected by Memphis, went up against Utah's Darryn Peterson, the No. 2 overall pick. And through two meetings between these teams, it's Boozer and the Grizzlies who have come away victorious both times.
For the Jazz, Keyonte George once again carried much of the offensive scoring load, leading the team with 26 points and six assists. He's been one of Utah's most productive players early in the season and continued that trend on Monday.
Ace Bailey also put together a strong performance, finishing with a double-double of 17 points and 10 rebounds. Meanwhile, Peterson contributed 14 points and seven boards, though he struggled with efficiency, shooting just 5-of-18 from the floor.
Mo Bamba was another bright spot off the bench, recording 14 points, seven rebounds and four blocks while shooting an extremely efficient 7-of-8 from the field. His production was especially important with Utah missing significant frontcourt minutes due to injury.
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And while the Jazz made things interesting down the stretch, outscoring Memphis 29-21 in the fourth quarter, they ultimately couldn't complete the comeback.
There are numerous factors to point to in terms of what Utah could have done better. But it truly felt like a game in which the Jazz lost some confidence early, especially after two of their biggest stars exited with injuries.
Utah also struggled from beyond the arc, connecting on just 10 of its 33 attempts compared to 16 made triples by Memphis. That disparity proved costly in a game decided by just five points.
The Jazz now find themselves near the bottom of the Western Conference standings early in the season. It's certainly too early to suggest major changes are needed, but there are already some questions this team needs to answer, particularly with the uncertainty surrounding Markkanen and Jackson moving forward.
