The Memphis Grizzlies made sure they’re not going to be swept in the first round of the 2021 NBA Playoffs with a win in Game 1 against the Utah Jazz. Now, they’re looking at establishing a more commanding lead in the series, leaving Utah worrying about a potential sweep, regardless of how crazy that sounds. Check out our preview of this game below.
Riding on their momentum from a successful escape from the play-in tournament, the Grizzlies wasted no time to pull off a shocker in the playoffs, as they scored a 112-109 win in Game 1 over the Jazz. Dillon Brooks led the Grizzlies with 31 points, while Ja Morant scored 26 points. The challenge now for Memphis is to duplicate that kind of performance, especially for Brooks, who averaged just 17.2 points back in the regular season. But if the Grizzlies could play sound defense on Utah again, Brooks might not need to score that high again to help Memphis go 2-0 up in the series. The Jazz shot just 42.0 percent from the field in Game 1 and a horrendous 25.5 percent from deep, while also turning the ball over 14 times. Kyle Anderson was a pest on the defensive end, as he recorded six steals on top of his 14 points.
The Grizzlies are 10-2 against the spread in their last 12 games as underdogs.
The Jazz will get Donovan Mitchell back, as they try to recover from their stunning loss in Game 1. Mitchell was held out in the series opener because of an ankle issue, that he insisted is not that serious enough anymore to keep him out. In any case, he’s reportedly ready to see action. This will be a huge shot in the arm for the Jazz, as they’re getting back their leading scorer in the regular season. Mitchell scored 26.4 points per game and shot 38.6 percent from deep during the regular season. Speaking of which, the Jazz will try to recapture their stroke from long rage after a forgettable outside shooting performance in Game 1. The Jazz finished the regular season tops in the NBA with 16.7 threes per game on 38.7 percent shooting. Bojan Bogdanovic led the Jazz in Game 1 with 29 points while former Grizzlies guard Mike Conley Jr. had 22, albeit on a poor 6-18 shooting night.
The under is 9-2 in the Jazz’s last 11 games playing on two days of rest.
