I usually don’t pay attention to the TV commercials during Grizzlies games. Who does? We’ve all seen them a bajillion zillion times. DirecTV, Gold Strike, Taco Bell (shoutout Sean Tuohy). But one commercial during halftime of tonight’s matchup between the Utah Jazz and the Grizz made me stop what I was doing to pay attention.
It was a FedEx Forum ad promoting a Foo Fighters concert in October. What grabbed my attention was the silence at the onset of the commercial–an abrupt shift from constant noise to an absence of noise is quite noticeable when you’re zoned in. As the ad cycled through the band’s most popular numbers, inevitably “Best Of You” vibrated from the TV set.
The second half of basketball began, and Gordon Hayward scored ten of Utah’s first 12 points, putting Utah ahead 50-45. “Best Of You” continued to play in the back of my mind for the rest of the game with Dave Grohl’s in-dire-need-of-a-throat-lozenge voice crying out:
“Is someone getting the best, the best, the best, the best of yooooouuuuu?”
Yes, Mr. Grohl, the Utah Jazz (24-35) got the best of the bears tonight 93-82. But no, Mr. Grohl, the Utah Jazz did not get to play the best Memphis Grizzlies (42-17) team it could.
Utah defeated Memphis in the Grindhouse for the second time this season without Memphis’ icons of grit n’ grind, Tony Allen and Zach Randolph. Allen was suspended by the team before the game for violating team protocol. Randolph, as well as Beno Udrih, missed the game due to illness.
Without Z-Bo muscling around the post, Memphis got crushed on the boards, even with the twin towers lineup of Marc Gasol and Kosta Koufos logging 34 minutes. The rebounding margin was 55-37 in favor of the Jazz. 24 of those 55 belonged to Rudy Gobert’s everlong arms (7’8.5″ wingspan) alone, a record for the most rebounds given up to any opposing player in Grizzlies history. He also had 15 points.
“The young kid, Gobert, I think he’s going to be very, very good,” Grizzlies coach Dave Joerger said.
In addition to nabbing all the rebounds with his Michael-Jordan-at-the-end-of-Space-Jam length arms, Gobert caused Gasol, and really all those who entered the paint, a lot of problems with his length and athleticism. Players were wary of his shot-blocking ability, passing out or around defenders when normally they would have gone up with the rock, even though Gobert did not record a block in the game.
His partner in crime (and one day running mate for best backcourt in the league, mark my words), Derrick Favors, was no pretender either. He finished tied for a game high 21 points with Hayward on 8-14 shooting in addition to six rebounds, three assists, three blocks, and two steals. Hayward added eight rebounds, six dimes, and three steals after a forgettable first half when he shot 2-9 from the floor.
The Grizzlies gave the crowd hope at the end of the third quarter when Utah’s lead dwindled to only three. Nick Calathes had just made a nice cut and finished a layup from a Gasol assist when he hounded Utah’s inbound pass, forcing a turnover and an and-one opportunity. The crowd, for the first time in a couple games, earnestly grew excited.
But Calathes missed the free throw, and Utah creamed the Grizzlies the rest of the way. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯.
Memphis didn’t have any particularly great efforts from anyone, but did have nice games from Courtney Lee and rookie Jordan Adams. Lee, who had 18 and five, was really the only offensive threat on the floor for the home team even though Gasol had 17 (the Jazz, especially Gobert, made him shoot tough shots). Adams looked like an honest-to-whatever-deity-you-choose professional ballplayer, sans stepping out-of-boundswhile knocking down a three pointer. He finished the night with 13 points, a career high.
Memphis won’t get to rest much tonight. They’ll be hopping on a plane to Houston for a bout with the Rockets tomorrow. Houston is only a game and a half behind the Grizzlies in the Western Conference playoff standings, so it goes without saying that it will be a huge game.
Part of me thinks the team is strategically losing in order to escape having to play San Antonio or OKC in the first round, using a “post All-Star break slump” as a cover. So, technically tomorrow’s game is a win-win. If Memphis wins, people are happy because it won. If it loses, fine, let Houston play SAS or OKC. I, for one, will gladly take Dallas.
