The Memphis Grizzlies erased a 14-point first-half deficit and rode a dominant third quarter to a 123-114 win over the Utah Jazz on Friday night at FedExForum, snapping a four-game losing streak in the process.
With nine players unavailable due to injury, Memphis leaned heavily on its bench. Olivier-Maxence Prosper scored 23 points and GG Jackson added 20 as eight of the nine Grizzlies who saw the floor finished in double figures.
The win came on a night layered with emotion. Jaren Jackson Jr., Vince Williams Jr. and John Konchar returned to Memphis for the first time since being dealt Feb. 3 in an eight-player trade. Tribute videos played during timeouts, and standing ovations greeted each of them. Jackson, sidelined after recent left knee surgery, made his rounds pregame, hugging former teammates, coaches and arena staff roughly 90 minutes before tipoff.
Utah led 67-55 at halftime and appeared in control. The Jazz, who entered the night 13th in the Western Conference standings, were paced early by Isaiah Collier, who finished with 24 points. Kyle Filipowski and Ace Bailey added 20 each. Lauri Markkanen was a late scratch due to illness, while Keyonte George and Jusuf Nurkic were among those sidelined.
Memphis, which began the evening 11th in the West and fighting to avoid slipping further into the conference’s bottom tier, flipped the game after the break. The Grizzlies opened the third quarter with renewed pace and ball movement, igniting a 21-6 run that turned a double-digit deficit into a 10-point lead early in the fourth.
Jackson’s 3-pointer with 4:31 remaining pushed the advantage to 16 and effectively sealed it.
After the game, Prosper reflected on competing against former teammates.
“It felt weird,” Prosper said. “Even being against them today and talking to them during the game, it felt weird. I wish them all the best moving forward. I want them to be successful over there and keep doing their thing. They’ll always have a special place in my heart for sure.”
Jackson described the oddity of guarding players he had grown close to over the past two seasons, particularly Williams, who had visited him the night before.
“I still haven’t got used to seeing them in that jersey,” Jackson said. “Wished ’em all the luck over there for sure.”
Earlier, Jackson had addressed the tribute video shown for Jaren Jackson Jr., acknowledging the former cornerstone’s imprint on the city.
“It really just shows the impact he has on this city, whether he’s here or not,” Jackson said. “He’s done so much for the community.”
Head coach Tuomas Iisalo emphasized the collective response after halftime, particularly given the limited rotation and a back-to-back looming.
“In the second half, it was a different story,” Iisalo said. “That’s how we made our run. That’s something we’ve got to lean on through practice. Those are the non-negotiables — keep playing all the time for the team.”
The Jazz, who were fined $500,000 earlier this month for sitting key players late in recent games, could not withstand Memphis’ depth-by-necessity surge. The Grizzlies (21-33) managed balanced minutes without overextending anyone, a necessity with the roster depleted.
Up next, Utah visits Houston on Monday night, while Memphis travels to Miami on Saturday to face the Heat, carrying momentum from a night that blended closure with a needed result.