SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4 Sports) - Just when you think things can sink any lower for the Utah Jazz, they get outscored by 38 points in the second half in a 140-103 blowout loss to the Memphis Grizzlies Tuesday night at the Delta Center.
The Jazz have now lost 13 of its last 14 games, falling to 16-57 on the season, the worst record in the Western Conference.
Seven Grizzlies scored in double figures, led by Desmond Bane with 22 points. Jaren Jackson Jr. chipped in with 19 points.
Isaiah Collier was Utah's leading scorer with 21, while Collin Sexton scored 15.
Utah led by six at the end of the first quarter, and by one at the half. But Memphis outscored the Jazz 41-17 in a dominating third quarter, and 35-21 in the fourth. The 37-point loss ties Utah's third largest blowout defeat of the season.
"The second half was unrecognizable in almost every way," said Jazz head coach Will Hardy about this team getting outscored 76-38 in the half. "At some point, every person needs to look in the mirror and understand what's being asked of them. There are very few times where I've been disappointed in our group, and tonight I'll drive home disappointed."
Utah's top scorers John Collins (ankle), Lauri Markkanen (ill) and Jordan Clarkson (foot) all sat out.
The Jazz were hot from beyond the arc in the first half, hitting 13 of their first 19 attempts.
Trailing 61-47, the Grizzlies forced five straight missed 3s and Jaylen Wells capped 17-2 run that gave Memphis a 64-63 lead just before halftime.
Memphis looked like a motivated squad after trailing the Jazz for most of the first half as they outscored the Jazz 76-38 and outrebounded them 33-8 in the second half.
Once their 3s stopped dropping, the Jazz were hapless in effort and production.
"There seems to be an unwillingness at times to understand that this is not something that you can take for granted," a frustrated Hardy said. "There needs to be accountability of self first, and everybody on our team needs to understand that opportunity should not be taken lightly. That second half was really disappointing and it's not representative of who we want to be as an organization."
After Jackson left the game midway through the third quarter after being hit the face, the Grizzlies limited the Jazz to just one field goal for more than seven minutes.
Even without Ja Morant and Jackson (for most of the period), the Grizzlies outscored the Jazz 41-17 in the third quarter, their largest point difference in a quarter all season.
The Jazz next host Houston Thursday night.