MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The Grizzlies know they will be facing a much different Utah Jazz team Wednesday, with Donovan Mitchell cleared to play in Game 2.
"I expect him to play and be ready," Grayson Allen said of his former teammate. "I don't think any of us are betting on his ankle being a little sore. I think even if it is, he's not going to play like it is. For us it's another guy we have to lock in on and make it as hard as possible on the offensive end."
Mitchell scored 35 points in each of the two regular season games he played in against Memphis.
Utah severely missed his team-best 3.4 three pointers per game, in Sunday's loss. The Jazz shot just 26% from deep in Game One.
"They're a team that shoots the ball really well," Allen said. "They're going to continue to look to get there on offense."
"We've got to do better close outs, better pick-and-roll coverage," Jonas Valanciunas added. "We can't rely on them missing shots."
All eyes will be on how the physicality, and the chippy atmosphere of Game One carries over into the rest of the series.
"We are a team that focuses on us," rookie Xavier Tillman Sr. said. "The main thing is if we see someone trying to attack one of our guys, that's the last thing you want to do."
"Just keeping that edge and keeping that focus, that's what we've got to do," Taylor Jenkins said. "It's always been about us. That's what we've been talking about, and luckily these guys have embraced it."
Game Two tips off at 9:00 p.m. CT in Salt Lake City.