SALT LAKE CITY — It’s natural to want to forget Wednesday night ever happened.
To forget the Utah Jazz not only beat the Memphis Grizzlies in the first playoff series of the Ja Morant era, but buried them in a 126-110 Game 5 win that was as ruthless as an elimination game gets.
To forget the 47-point first quarter barrage, and the deluge of 3-pointers, and the two Donovan Mitchell kill shots right before halftime, from basically the same spot, in the same building where the Grizzlies only 10 days earlier allowed us to dream this ending wouldn’t come as soon as anyone thought.
To forget that Mitchell showed up Dillon Brooks coming down the floor after the first one, talking trash that Brooks had no answer for because how could he? You couldn’t hear what Mitchell said, but it was probably a more profane version of, “Better luck next year.”
To forget that he looked out at the sea of red, orange and yellow standing inside Vivint Arena and basked in the thunderous cheers of being a NBA title contender closing out a series the way a NBA title contender is supposed to close out a series.
Here’s hoping the Grizzlies never forget any of it, because where the Jazz are right now is where Memphis wants to eventually be.
The excitement they inspired by winning the play-in tournament, and then stealing Game 1 from the Jazz. The fearlessness that Morant and Brooks played with, elevating their games to levels that bode well for the future. The resiliency that emerged all season long until the Jazz left them no choice but to tap out.
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The late-game failures that cost the Grizzlies Games 3 and 4 in Memphis over Memorial Day weekend. The flaws on defense, on the bench and beyond the arc that were exposed by a superior opponent. The adjustments, by the NBA’s second-youngest head coach, that largely didn’t work.
It’s all important.
Because just as soon as Game 5 ended, just as soon as this season ended, the next phase of this Grizzlies rebuild started. It’s time to figure out what it will take for them to one day take down teams like the Jazz, not just valiantly compete with them for five games before getting obliterated.
The data has been collected.
Though young players like Morant and Brooks and Jaren Jackson Jr. will develop more in the coming seasons, they’ve shown enough promise and potential to expect more. To think that a repeat of this next year won’t be nearly as easy to stomach as this series loss has been.
To wonder if there's a veteran that could help this team. To consider if there are additions and subtractions from this supporting cast that will better complement Morant, who has emerged as a star unlike Memphis has seen before.
So as ugly as Wednesday got, no Grizzlies fan should be leaving this season with anything but a smile.
This team brought joy to the city during a pandemic that took so much from us the past year. They gave us those delirious crowds of Memphians at FedExForum for two postseason games that felt like celebrations even when the Jazz ruined all the fun.
They delivered far more than they didn't.
Don’t forget that, either.
"We will be back," Morant said inside the locker room for the last time this season.
You can reach Commercial Appeal columnist Mark Giannotto via email at mgiannotto@gannett.com and follow him on Twitter: @mgiannotto
The Link LonkJune 03, 2021 at 11:21AM
https://www.commercialappeal.com/story/sports/columnists/mark-giannotto/2021/06/02/memphis-grizzlies-utah-jazz-nba-playoffs-dont-forget-how-their-unforgettable-season-ended/7421781002/
Here's hoping the Memphis Grizzlies don't forget how their unforgettable season ended | Giannotto - Commercial Appeal
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