No matter the odds, the Jazz will never quit.

Despite being severely shorthanded, on the final game of a four-game road trip and down by 24 against Memphis, Utah easily could’ve coasted into the All-Star break. But that’s not who this team is — neither the team nor the culture that Will Hardy is building.

The Jazz battled back and had a chance to tie the game with 20 seconds left — but on a night when they were able to get big bucket after big bucket, they came up one short. Despite double-doubles from Kelly Olynyk and Walker Kessler, Utah fell 117-111 to the Grizzlies on Wednesday night.

“I thought that our team maintained composure, focused on controlling the things we could control and things we needed to improve as the game went on,” Hardy said. “We ended up coming back. … Obviously, it’s hard to get over the hump when you start down by 24, but sometimes in the NBA, the three-ball can lead to some big swings and leads. Just very proud of the way our team stayed mentally engaged and competed all the way through the game.”

With Lauri Markkanen scratched from the game about a half hour before tip and Collin Sexton going down just four minutes in, the Jazz desperately needed help on the offensive end.

He finished with his second consecutive double-double, dropping 28 points and season-high 13 rebounds. He also added six assists while shooting 9-of-16 from the field and 3-for-7 from deep. Olynyk was particularly impressive in the second half, scoring 10 points in the fourth quarter when the Jazz made their big push.

With Olynyk having a breakout game, Jordan Clarkson continued to be Mr. Consistent for the Jazz. He finished with 20 points, nine rebounds, and six assists.

Although it wasn’t his best shooting night of the season, he stayed aggressive and kept attacking the paint. That forced the Grizzlies defense to collapse, and Clarkson did an excellent job of finding the open man, helping lead to those six assists.

With no Markkanen and on the final game of a difficult four-game road trip, the Jazz struggled out of the gate and appeared sluggish as Memphis jumped out to a 12-4 lead. Ochai Agbaji ended the run with a three, but then Sexton went down a minute later — and the Jazz struggled to adjust again.

A Clarkson stepback made it a five-point game with just under two minutes to play, but the Grizzlies caught fire at the end of the quarter. Beginning with a Santi Aldama three, Memphis closed the first on a 12-3 run.

The Jazz trailed 38-24 heading to the second.

Utah still had no answer for the Grizzlies as they began the second on a 10-0 run as Jaren Jackson Jr. and John Konchar both knocked down threes. Back-to-back buckets by Agbaji and newcomer Juan Toscano-Anderson ended the bleeding, but the Jazz were still down 20 early in the quarter.

The Jazz began to show that fight and resiliency with a 7-0 run midway through as Agbaji drilled another three to cut the deficit to 16. After a Jackson Jr. dunk put the deficit back at 20, Utah gained some traction heading to the half by closing the quarter on a 6-2 run.

Utah trailed 63-47 at the break.

After free throws by Clarkson and Kessler to begin the third, Memphis appeared to put the nail in the coffin with a quick 7-0 run as the deficit was back to 21. But the comeback was just starting as Olynyk answered with a four-point play before Clarkson drilled a three on back-to-back possessions.

Multiple times, it appeared the Jazz were going to make a big run and possibly get the deficit down to single digits. But whether it was a three-ball, a key steal, or a big block, Memphis always had an answer, and the Jazz couldn’t get over the hump — until the end of the third.

After trailing by 16 with less than two minutes to go in the quarter, the Jazz closed strong. A Simone Fontecchio three ignited an 11-3 run to end the third as Utah entered the fourth with momentum.

The Jazz trailed 88-80 heading after three.

A quick 8-0 run by Utah made it a three-point game just under three minutes into the fourth, prompting a Memphis timeout. The teams would exchange buckets for the next few minutes as a Clarkson three kept it a three-point game with six minutes to go.

But the drama was just beginning.

The Grizzlies rattled off a quick 8-0 run over a minute and a half, and the Jazz found themselves down by 11. After calming the storm, the teams exchanged buckets before Utah gave it one final push.

Down 12, an Olynyk three invited a 13-2 run for the Jazz as they trailed 111-110 with 1:28 to go. After a quick three points from Morant and a free throw from Horton-Tucker, Utah got the stop they desperately needed and had a chance to tie the game with 20 seconds to go — but a miscommunication between Horton-Tucker and Clarkson led to a turnover and ended the comeback bid.

Starting in place of Markkanen, Agbaji finished with 17 points, while Kessler added 10 points, 14 rebounds, and three blocks. Horton-Tucker added 15 points, seven rebounds, and seven assists off the bench. Toscano-Anderson chipped in seven points and 10 rebounds.

Utah now has a week off as NBA All-Star Weekend returns to Salt Lake City after a 30-year hiatus this weekend.

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