Jrue Holiday scored a season-high 35 points with 11 assists, Jerami Grant added 30 points and nine rebounds, and Robert Williams III had 20 points and 11 boards to lead the Portland Trail Blazers to a 122-114 victory Wednesday night over the host Memphis Grizzlies.
Holiday made 13 of 19 shots from the field, including eight 3-pointers, while Grant was 11-for-19 and Williams was 9-for-12. Donovan Clingan had nine rebounds and four blocks in 12 minutes before being ejected in the second quarter.
Jaylen Wells led the Grizzlies with 24 points, GG Jackson scored 20 and Olivier-Maxence Prosper contributed 17 points and nine boards. Jahmai Mashack finished with 13 points and Cam Spencer and Walter Clayton Jr. had 12 each. Memphis lost for the fifth time in seven games.
Memphis, playing the second game of a back-to-back, had only eight players available because of injuries. Star guard Ja Morant missed his 19th straight game with a left elbow injury.
Grant scored 16 points in the third quarter to help Portland pull away. He added eight points during a three-minute stretch late in the third to boost the Trail Blazers’ lead to 91-82.
In the fourth quarter, Holiday provided the spark after Memphis trimmed the Portland advantage to 100-98. He connected on three consecutive 3-pointers in a two-minute span to give Portland a nine-point cushion, 109-100, with 6:53 left. Memphis got no closer than eight points the remainder of the game.
The game was tied at 59 at halftime. Portland led by nine points early, and the Grizzlies went up by eight with under three minutes to go in the half.
Clingan was ejected with 3:14 remaining in the second quarter after a flagrant elbow caught Prosper, sending him to the ground.
Memphis played without Scotty Pippen Jr, Cedric Coward and Ty Jerome, who were available Tuesday against Minnesota. Portland was without leading scorer and All-Star Deni Avdija, who is close to returning from injury.
–Field Level Media
