Posted: 8:27 PM- MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- If his players couldn't do it themselves with Deron Williams and Carlos Boozer out injured, then 66-year-old coach Jerry Sloan was just going to have to will the Jazz to victory Saturday night against the Memphis Grizzlies.
Sloan spent almost the entire first half on his feet, clapping his hands, hollering at his players and riding the referees. About the only thing Sloan didn't do was dive on the floor after a loose ball, though he appeared close to doing so a couple of times. With Sloan setting the tone, the Jazz were able to salvage a split on this two-game trip. They pulled away in the fourth quarter to beat the Grizzlies 103-94 at FedExForum, giving up 25 fewer points than in Friday's loss to San Antonio.
Mehmet Okur (23 points) and Ronnie Brewer (21) paced the Jazz while Andrei Kirilenko had nine points, 10 assists and six rebounds. O.J.
Mayo led Memphis with 23 points while Rudy Gay had 21 and a spectacular dunk on Kirilenko with 2:13 left.
Both teams were playing the second game of a back-to-back set. The Jazz scored the first 10 points of the fourth quarter to build an 18-point lead, starting as Okur dunked off a Brevin Knight pass and connected on a three-pointer.
Morris Almond flipped in a layup off an Kirilenko pass, Knight dived in to strip the ball from Marc Gasol and Almond converted two free throws after being fouled on the fast break to make it 86-69.
Memphis coach Marc Iavaroni was called for a technical foul with 8:55 left, arguing with referee Sean Wright about a no-call earlier in the quarter involving Kirilenko and Kyle Lowry that resulted in a 24-second violation.
Sloan, meanwhile, yelled at his players to move on offense, get up into players on defense and run the floor. He called out for help on defense and to look inside on offense. Sloan even smacked the scorer's table when Kosta Koufos failed to swing the ball.
After giving up 119 points to the Spurs in a Friday loss, Sloan watched as the Grizzlies jumped out to a quick 9-2 lead. He switched to a zone defense, but Memphis carved up the Jazz, scoring on four straight possessions.
That brought Sloan out of his seat. The Jazz spent the rest of the half trapping, double-teaming and otherwise scrambling on defense, coming up with nine steals and taking a 50-43 lead into halftime.
Nothing came easy for the Jazz. The Grizzlies closed within six points in the third quarter before Ronnie Price hit a jumper and Brewer stole Darrell Arthur's inbound pass and flipped in a layup as Utah went on to take a 12-point lead.
Okur ran the floor for a dunk as part of a three-point play that put the Jazz ahead 69-56. Price knocked down a three-pointer to keep Utah in front by 12. It took until the start of the fourth quarter, though, for the Jazz to make their push.
