SALT LAKE CITY — Ten years ago, he was part of one of the biggest upsets in NBA Playoff history when the Grizzlies, an eight seed, stunned a one, knocking off the San Antonio Spurs by taking game one back in 2011.
The guy on the right side of that upset but on the wrong side of Sunday’s eight over a one — Mike Conley.
Now, the former Core Four great thinks he can learn from what he did as a Grizzly back then to help his Jazz team right now.
“Now I have the opportunity to be on the other side and be the one seed, have people gunning for you like they are. In my case, I feel like we have to continue to match their energy,” Conley said. “We just didn’t do that in the first game and come out with the same intensity that they did. They played a lot hungrier than we did and that’s what an eight seed, in order to beat a one seed, that’s what you have to be. We have to be more of that.”
Conley scored 22 points but was only 6 of 18 shooting in a 112-109 Game One loss to the Grizzlies.