Jazz survive chaotic ending and shock Grizzlies 124-123

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SALT LAKE CITY — The chaos returned.

And so did a win.

On Thursday morning, Jazz coach Will Hardy brought his team together and said he was getting tired of seeing text messages and media reports about how his team was a "surprise." To him, Utah was, simply, good.

And, well, he may be onto something.

The Jazz pulled off another stunner (or maybe we shouldn't be stunned anymore) to beat Memphis 124-123 on Saturday at Vivint Arena to improve to 5-2 on the season.

Utah came back from a 5-point deficit in the final two minutes to a team that was playing lights out. Even without Ja Morant, who missed Saturday's game with an illness, the Grizzlies shot 57% from the field, 44% from 3-point range and had two players score 30 points on Saturday.

In the fourth quarter alone, Memphis shot 58% from the field and 57% from 3-point range; it was a near flawless finish for the Grizzlies. But the Jazz matched them punch for punch.

"I thought we executed the offense very well down the stretch; our last 23 points were assisted," Jazz coach Will Hardy said. "(Jordan Clarkson) made a lot of great decisions down the stretch. Guys knocked down some big shots."

The two teams traded haymakers for much of the fourth quarter.

Tyus Jones and Clarkson traded 3-pointers; Lauri Markkanen and Dillon Brooks traded highlight-reel dunks; and each team answered each others' big shots.

The Jazz just had the biggest two of the night.

Kelly Olynyk and Malik Beasley hit back-to-back 3-pointers to put Utah up by 4 points with 23 seconds left.

It was the Jazz playing at their chaotic best. They sprinted in transition and then drove, and drove, and drove until an open shot came available.

"We're just playing off each other," Olynyk said. "One thing about our team is we don't really have that one guy that you just throw the ball to and he's making all the plays. So when it's kind of chaotic — and you're moving the ball and your body and creating confusion for the defense and playing off each other and cutting and drive and kick, swing, another drive, another kick — that's probably when we're at our best."

Olynyk and Markkanen led the Jazz with 23 points apiece, and Jordan Clarkson had 21 points and had four of his six assists in the fourth quarter to help Utah's offense keep pace with the Grizzlies.

Utah was 19-of-44 from behind the 3-point line and had 30 assists, despite being without starting point guard Mike Conley, who was resting on the second game of the back-to-back.

Even with the two big shots and all the stuff that had gone right for the Jazz, the Grizzlies almost had an answer at the end.

Brooks hit a quick 3-pointer to pull Memphis within 1 point, and the Jazz then had to survive a chaotic ending — this time the chaos just about cost them.

With 14 seconds left to play, Collin Sexton got an inbound pass and lost control of the ball, which sent the ball flying high up in the air.

"He tried to hit the jumbotron," Olynyk joked afterward.

Luckily for the Jazz, Clarkson came down with the ball and dribbled to the corner, where he was triple teamed as the clock ticked down. Instead of waiting for the foul, though, Clarkson zipped a pass inside to Markkanen; and instead of dribbling out the clock, Markkanen tried a quick layup that missed.

It was not exactly how Hardy saw the final possession going for his team.

"Honestly, I thought Colin was gonna get fouled and then the ball went up in the air," Hardy quipped. "And then I thought JC was gonna get fouled when he spun baseline, and then he immediately passed it to Lauri who appeared by himself. I thought for sure he was going to spin and dribble it out to the corner."

He paused a bit and then added with a smile: "That was wrong."

They could all joke because it didn't matter in the end.

Desmond Bane, who had 32 points on the night for the Grizzlies, slipped on an inbound pass and the clock ran out on Memphis to give Utah yet another surprising win.

"Right when I missed that I realized I should have just held on to it," Markkanen said. "Obviously, I don't really have time to think about it, so I get that it was the wrong decision at that time, and I'll get better from it, but I'm glad we won the game."