Tuesday, June 1, 2021

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Mitchell scores 30, Jazz beat Memphis 120-113 to go up 3-1

Posted: 31 May 2021 11:24 PM PDT

MEMPHIS, Tennessee — The Utah Jazz have put themselves in position to help erase a very bad memory from last year's Florida bubble.

Donovan Mitchell scored 30 points, and the top-seeded Jazz grabbed a 3-1 lead Monday night by holding off the Memphis Grizzlies 120-113.

That's the same lead the Jazz blew in losing their first-round series in seven games to Denver in the bubble. This time around, the team with the NBA's best record in the regular season is going home trying to close out this first round, best-of-seven series on Wednesday night in Salt Lake City.

"We obviously remember that feeling that we had last season, and it's not something we want to experience again," Jazz guard Mike Conley said.

This is a different Utah team with Bojan Bogdanovic available and Derrick Favors back on the bench. Conley also is more comfortable in his second season.

"We'll hopefully be able to get our minds focused on business and not let this one slip away like we did last year," Conley said.

Mitchell said another difference is the Jazz aren't satisfied being up 3-1.

"We have to go there and take care of homecourt back in Utah, and I think that's where our head is at," Mitchell said.

All-Star Rudy Gobert scored 13 of his 17 points in the third quarter. Jordan Clarkson, the NBA's 6th man of the year winner, scored 24. Bogdanovic added 13, Conley had 11.

Ja Morant, who averaged 33.7 points through the first three games, scored 23 and had 12 assists for Memphis. Dillon Brooks and Jaren Jackson Jr. each added 21, De'Anthony Melton had all 15 of his points in the fourth quarter and Jonas Valanciunas finished with 14 points and 12 rebounds.

Embiid leaves with sore knee, 76ers lose to Wizards 122-114

WASHINGTON - After the Philadelphia 76ers lost NBA MVP finalist Joel Embiid to what the team called a sore right knee late in the first quarter Monday night, they lost their lead — and their chance at the franchise's first playoff sweep in 36 years.

With Embiid gone for most of Game 4, Bradley Beal's 27 points, Russell Westbrook's 12th career playoff triple-double and Washington's strategy of fouling Ben Simmons whenever possible down the stretch all helped the Wizards beat the 76ers 122-114 to cut Philadelphia's series edge to 3-1.

"Each guy thought they had to win the game for us," 76ers coach Doc Rivers said about what happened to his team's offense after Embiid departed. "You've still got to play right. ... Tonight we didn't play right, on either end."

Asked for more information about Embiid's knee, Rivers said, "I really don't know," and added that some "precautionary" tests will be done Tuesday.

Tobias Harris, who led the Sixers with 21 points and 13 rebounds, summed up his club's situation this way: "It's not the end of the world."

Simmons' take?

"Obviously," Simmons said, "we need Joel to win. He's a big part of this team."

Game 5 of the best-of-seven Eastern Conference first-round series is Wednesday at Philadelphia. (AP)

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