When the Grizzlies take the court against the Utah Jazz in Game 5, they will be playing for the chance to continue their postseason run. Utah currently holds a 3-1 series lead after their win Monday night.
But regardless of the outcome of tonight’s game, this season has already been a roaring success for the Grizzlies.
If we’re being brutally honest, the likelihood that the Grizzlies make it out of the first round has always been slim. This is no disrespect, just the facts of life in the NBA when you’re the 8th seed.
So how can the Grizzlies best optimize their chances of a victory? Defense. Three-point shooting. Free throws. Limiting turnovers.
Defense: specifically, perimeter defense. The Jazz have consistently outshot the Grizzlies from beyond the arc during this series, so the Grizzlies need to figure out how to run them off the three-point line, and without fouling an active shooter.
Three-point shooting: The Grizzlies are a collective 38 of 119 from long range in the first four games of this series, an abysmal 32 percent. By contrast, the Jazz are shooting 41 percent (67 of 163) from beyond the arc this series. Memphis needs to do a better job getting those shots falling from the perimeter in Game 5.
Free throws: This one is two-fold, as the Grizzlies are struggling both with accuracy and disparity in free throws attempted. Utah is consistently doing a better job of getting to the free throw line and making their free throws. Figuring out how to close those gaps would be a huge boon for the Grizzlies.
Limiting turnovers: Commit fewer turnovers, force more opponent turnovers, convert offensively on more opponent turnovers. This is obviously easier said than done, but even tightening up on ball handling just a little will pay big dividends. Make every possession count.
Game 5 tips off at 8:30 p.m. CST.
*All stats are from basketball-reference.com.
