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After securing another win on the road in game four, the Utah Jazz will be hoping to end their series with the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday night. Since Donovan Mitchell's return to the starting lineup, the Jazz have been ruthless on offense, displaying the kind of scoring accuracy witnessed by Quin Snyder's team during the regular season.
The Memphis Grizzlies are dogged, however, and they will go down fighting. Their last two matchups have been settled by fewer than 11 points and this one will likely be decided at the wire.
Match Details
Fixture - Memphis Grizzlies vs Utah Jazz | Game 5, 2020-21 NBA Playoffs.
Date & Time - Wednesday, June 2nd; 9:30 PM ET (Thursday, June 3rd; 7:00 AM IST).
Venue - Vivint Smart Home Arena, Salt Lake City, UT
Memphis Grizzlies Preview
Although the Memphis Grizzlies are a tough side to break down, they have struggled against the Utah Jazz' wealth of scoring talent. They have also continued to shoot the three balls poorly. During the regular season campaign, they scored just 35.6% of efforts, though at the moment they are scoring just 31.9% - the third-lowest of any team in the playoffs.
They have also left themselves with too much to do, as in each of the last three games the Memphis Grizzlies have gone into the locker room at half-time behind their opponents. Their home form wasn't particularly prolific all year and that continued in games three and four.
This has all but left the Grizzlies in a tough spot ahead of a must-win game five. Morant will have to have another electric scoring performance while their defense must do better to contain the Utah Jazz' threats.
Key Player - Ja Morant
Ja Morant has proven he can compete at the top level in the first playoff series of his young career. He has averaged the second-most minutes of any NBA player in the postseason and is putting up 31 points and 7.5 assists per game. In game two, he came close to becoming the youngest player in league history to score 50 points in a playoff game, coming just three points shy of that tally.
There is no player more important to the Memphis Grizzlies and certainly none that can help them get out of their current predicament. Although Morant doesn't have the defensive qualities of some of his teammates, he more than makes up for it on offense. He is currently averaging over ten more points per matchup than in the regular season, and is shooting at a higher rate (48%) despite taking seven more shots per game.
Utah Jazz Preview
As with the rest of their season, the Utah Jazz have been living and dying by their shooting accuracy, primarily from beyond the arc. After scoring just 25% of threes in game one, the Jazz have since shot at 47% from downtown, including a series-high for either team of 50% in game four on Monday.
Their scoring from all areas of the floor has been impressive and their depth of shooting talent is beginning to shine through, outperforming the Memphis Grizzlies' options. Jordan Clarkson came alive in game four, putting up 24 points. With their bench options, the Utah Jazz are going to be hard to beat for any side if they progress from Wednesday night to the next round.
Key Player - Donovan Mitchell
Since returning to the Utah Jazz lineup, Donovan Mitchell has averaged 28 points and 4.3 assists. Although he hasn't yet reached the shooting averages he put up during the regular season, the 24-year-old has time to improve that should the Jazz advance.
His role is more important than scoring, though. Mitchell brings energy to the Utah Jazz offense and links up well with both Mike Conley and Jordan Clarkson. Monday night was the guard's best game of the series and he was beginning to look like his former self prior to the injury he suffered in mid-April. He is also brilliant at drawing fouls and has been able to force the Memphis Grizzlies' Dillon Brooks into foul trouble throughout their matchups.
Predicted Starting 5's
Memphis Grizzlies
Point Guard - Ja Morant | Shooting Guard - Dillon Brooks | Small Forward - Kyle Anderson | Power Forward - Jaren Jackson Jr. | Center - Jonas Valancuinas
Utah Jazz
Point Guard - Donovan Mitchell | Shooting Guard - Mike Conley Jr. | Small Forward - Bojan Bogdanovic | Power Forward - Royce O'Neale | Center - Rudy Gobert
Grizzlies vs Jazz Match Prediction
Although the Memphis Grizzlies have fought valiantly, the Utah Jazz simply have too much for them at the moment. They have greater scoring depth and playoff experience, as well as a candidate for the NBA's Defensive Player of the Year.
If the Utah Jazz can keep up their shooting accuracy, this should be a home win, where they have only lost on six occasions all year. The Memphis Grizzlies need to come out of the blocks firing to put themselves in a position to win this one. They have started slower than their opponents in the last three games and can't afford to do that in a win or go home scenario.
Where to watch the Grizzlies vs Jazz matchup
The game will be broadcast on multiple networks, locally on Bally Sports Southeast - Memphis and AT&T Sportsnet, but also nationally on NBA TV and on ESPN.
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