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The final buzzer sounds with a final score of 105-110, as Utah’s comeback effort fell short in the dying moments of this contest.
It’s a minor miracle that the Jazz were within striking distance at all down the stretch, as the Grizzlies took a 16-point lead in the final two minutes of the third quarter and buried the Jazz under a wave of momentum. To make matters worse, Utah was left without their two best players and veteran leaders, Lauri Markkanen and Jaren Jackson Jr., both of whom left the game in the first half and did not return.
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Markkanen doubled over in pain after a collision on a screen, his wrist pinned between the screener and his teammate and bending awkwardly. He did not return and could hardly manage his pain on his walk to the locker room, stopping and leaning over in agony.
Jackson was in the wrong place at the right time, as a tumbling Grizzly landed on his calf and bent his knee awkwardly. He was quickly removed from the game despite an effort to fight through the pain; he didn’t return either.
The Utah Jazz are losing big men like a cloud loses water; when it rains, it pours. Sending both Lauri Markkanen and Jaren Jackson Jr. to the locker room in the first half is a nightmare scenario for the winning-minded Jazz, compounded by pre-existing injuries to Utah’s frontcourt depth in Jusuf Nurkic and Jaxson Hayes. That’s the bad news. The good news? Another certified Mo Bamba sighting (TM) has been reported in Salt Lake City.
Bamba was exceptional when Will Hardy called his number, posting an immaculate stat line while locking down Utah’s interior defense. 110 is the lowest point total Utah has allowed all season, and that’s thanks in large part to Bamba’s 14 points, 7 rebounds, and 4 blocks in 29 minutes of burn. It can be easy to forget that Bamba was once a lottery pick — he reminded the Delta Center tonight.
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Hammer slams, airborne denials, and more dish deflections than an ungrateful baby at their own birthday party, Bamba made his presence known and hardly looked like Utah’s fourth option at center. He was critical in bringing the Jazz back within striking distance in…
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Publish date : 2026-10-27 04:16:00
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