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Jazz look to snap road skid against Grizzlies

Jan 16, 2009 - 11:35 AM Utah (23-16) at Memphis (11-27) 8:00 p.m. EST

MEMPHIS, Tennessee (Ticker) -- Playing away from Salt Lake City has gotten so bad for the Utah Jazz, it's almost surreal. The Jazz have lost five straight on the road - none more embarrassing than Wednesday's blowout loss to the lowly Oklahoma City Thunder.

The Jazz get another chance to snap their road skid on Friday as they take on the reeling Memphis Grizzlies, who have lost four straight.

If any team is the remedy for Utah's road woes, it's Memphis. The Jazz have won their last five meetings with the Grizzlies and eight of the last nine - including two already this season. The clubs met in Memphis on November 22, as Mehmet Okur scored 23 points and Ronnie Brewer added 21 to lead Utah to a 104-93 triumph.

Four days later in Utah, Deron Williams returned from an ankle injury to lead the Jazz to a 117-100 victory in Salt Lake City. Of course, winning at home hasn't been the problem. The road has been a different story. The Jazz haven't won away from their home floor since a double-overtime triumph over Detroit on December 19.

Since, they have dropped five straight on the road, losing to the likes of Chicago, Milwaukee and - most recently - Oklahoma City.

As for the Grizzlies, they have fallen by double digits in three straight games as part of their four-game skid - including a 102-87 defeat to the high-powered Cleveland Cavaliers on Tuesday. Kyle Lowry scored a career-high 25 points in a losing cause.