When the Memphis Grizzlies visited the Utah Jazz in Salt Lake City, many expected the game to be a blowout affair. The Grizzlies are one of the worst teams in the league while the Jazz, despite their eighth-place seeding in the Western Conference have won seven of their last 10 games.
Surprisingly, though, the visiting team were able to stand toe-to-toe against the hosts up until the latter part of the third quarter. That won't last long as Memphis decided to bring balance back to the normalcy of this stage in the NBA's regular season where bottom teams are in tank mode.
Franchise center Marc Gasol, who already had 23 points in 23 minutes of play (11-of-12 from the field, 6-of-7 from 3-point distance), was benched for the final 16 minutes of the game. While it's already a curious decision on the part of the Grizzlies, what made it even more blatant was the fact that the score was tied at that juncture.
The Jazz went on to win this one 107-97 behind 22 points, three rebounds, and four assists from rookie sensation Donovan Mitchell. After the game, Grizzlies coach JB Bickerstaff spoke with reporters and addressed the controversial decision to sit Gasol early and for what seemed like no apparent reason.
Per Kurt Kragthorpe of the Salt Lake Tribune:
Memphis coach J.B. Bickerstaff, amid repeated questions about why Marc Gasol didn't play in the 4Q: “We gave our young guys an opportunity to play.”
It seems like many will find it challenging to buy whatever it is that Bickerstaff is selling in his interview. The Grizzlies are not alone in this lonely road, though. The Phoenix Suns, Chicago Bulls, Sacramento Kings, and Atlanta Hawks, among others, have had their fair share of tank moments recently.
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