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Utah Jazz guard Mike Conley Jr. was all smiles as he made his return to the FedEx Forum for the first time on Friday. After greeting familiar faces in the arena which he called home the past 12 seasons, the 32-year-old guard was met with a much-deserved ovation from Grizzlies fans and even received a touching video tribute.
He spoke about the heartwarming experience shortly after the game, via Eric Walden of the Salt Lake Tribune.
“It was a hard game to play, but it was special. A lot of emotions. Part of you is just soaking it all in, and another part is trying to focus on the game. I’m glad I got it over with. It was an amazing experience, but it would’ve been better if we’d won,” Conley shared.
Conley, however, failed to leave Memphis with a win, as the Jazz was dealt a gut-wrenching 106-107 loss, after Donovan Mitchell’s potential game-winning attempt was thwarted by Solomon Hill.
Replays showed that Hill did make contact with Mitchell’s arm, but the non-call effectively ended Utah’s three-game winning streak.
Conley, meanwhile, contributed 15 points, four boards, and three assists in his first battle against his former team. He’s still finding his rhythm in Salt Lake, shooting just 35.6 from the field and 33.3 from past the arc, while averaging 14.8 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 3.9 assists in 12 games.
Conley was outplayed by his replacement point guard in Memphis, as super rookie Ja Morant led the Grizzlies with 25 markers, eight assists, and four boards.
