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Grizzlies-Jazz Preview

Nov 30, 2009 - 6:32 AM By KATE HEDLIN STATS Writer

Memphis (6-10) at Utah (9-7), 9:00 p.m. EDT

Unselfish basketball has translated into two of the Utah Jazz's best offensive games of the season.

The Jazz look to continue that trend against a team they've had plenty of high-scoring contests against Monday night when they try for their 10th straight win over the visiting Memphis Grizzlies.

Utah (9-7) improved to 3-1 on a six-game homestand and won for the fifth time in six games overall with a 108-92 victory over Portland on Saturday. The Jazz shot above 60 percent for a second straight game, going 43 of 71 (60.6 percent) from the floor and 7 of 12 from 3-point range.

Carlos Boozer scored 26 points to go along with 12 rebounds and seven assists while Deron Williams had 24 points and 15 assists. Utah never trailed and led by as many as 27 points. It finished with a season-high 36 assists and just 11 turnovers.

"We really passed the basketball," Jazz coach Jerry Sloan said. "When you pass the ball and share with each other, it makes the game a lot easier to play."

Sloan's team had shot a season-high 60.8 percent in its previous game - a 105-86 win over Chicago on Thursday. The Jazz have won six of eight, averaging 102.0 points and 27.3 assists while shooting 51.5 percent. They started the season 3-5 while averaging 98.0 points and 22.9 assists, shooting 47.1 percent.

"We're just having so much fun right now," said Boozer, who is scoring 26.7 points on 75.6 percent shooting in the last three games. "I just want to bottle this up and take it everywhere we go."

The only negative to come out of Saturday's win was injuries to Andrei Kirilenko (lower back) and Paul Millsap (knee), both of whom left the game in the second half and did not return. Their statuses for Monday are uncertain.

Even without those two key players, Utah will be favored to beat the Grizzlies (6-11), who the Jazz have beaten nine straight times while averaging 111.2 points on 52.3 percent shooting. Williams is averaging 17.8 points and 13.5 assists in eight games against them during that span.

Memphis, which has lost four straight in Salt Lake City, continues its five-game road trip after falling to 1-2 following a 98-88 loss to the Clippers on Sunday. The Grizzlies led by 18 in the opening minute of the fourth quarter, but were outscored 33-5 the rest of the way.

Marc Gasol scored 26 points on 13 of 18 shooting and Rudy Gay finished with 15 points and 10 rebounds.

"We couldn't close it out, and they executed better," Gasol said. "We thought we had it, but they played better in the fourth quarter. It was more our lack of playing than it was them. They played good defense, but we need to be mentally tougher if we want to win."

The Grizzlies, who had won five of seven, had outrebounded opponents in six of those games. They had a season-low 30 rebounds Sunday while giving up 47. The loss dropped Memphis, which ends the trip Wednesday at Minnesota, to 2-8 on the road.

O.J. Mayo, who was held to eight points on 2 of 10 shooting Sunday, will try to get back on track Monday. He averaged 21.5 points against the Jazz last season.