Jrue Holiday and Jerami Grant combined for 65 points to power Portland past Memphis 122-114, keeping the Trail Blazers in the Western Conference play-in conversation.
The Portland Trail Blazers arrived at FedEx Forum on Wednesday night needing a win badly. They left Memphis with one, and a performance that suggested they might actually be a problem down the stretch.
Portland defeated the Grizzlies 122-114, snapping a two-game losing streak and keeping the Trail Blazers in the fight for a Western Conference play-in spot. The win improved Portland to 30-33, and it came behind a trio of veterans who treated Memphis like a proving ground.
Holiday rises to the moment
Jrue Holiday was the story of the night, and it was not particularly close.
The veteran point guard finished with 35 points and 11 assists, connecting on 13 of 19 shots from the field and 8 of 11 attempts from beyond the arc. That 3-point total matched his career high. Holiday was electric in the second half, stringing together three consecutive 3-pointers during one fourth-quarter stretch before finding Robert Williams III in the lane for a hook shot that pushed Portland’s lead to 111-101. He was controlling possessions at both ends and making it look easy against younger Memphis defenders, including a step-back 3 late in the game that effectively put things away.
Jerami Grant was just as important. The forward poured in 30 points on 11-of-19 shooting, with 16 of those points coming in the third quarter alone. He closed the period with back-to-back baskets, a long 3 followed by a driving two-handed dunk, to push Portland’s advantage to 91-82 heading into the fourth. It was the fourth time this season Grant has reached 30 points.
Williams steps up with Clingan out
The evening took an unexpected turn late in the first half when center Donovan Clingan was ejected after making contact with Olivier-Maxence Prosper’s face with an elbow, a play that was ruled a flagrant 2 foul. With Deni Avdija and Shaedon Sharpe already sidelined due to injuries, Portland was now without three starters and needed someone to fill the void down low.
Williams answered. He posted his best performance of the season with 20 points, 11 rebounds and three blocks, converting 9 of 12 shots. Every basket came in the paint, a mix of dunks, hook shots and rebound finishes that gave Portland a physical presence Memphis could not match inside.
Memphis fights but falls short
The Grizzlies made things interesting, especially in the first half. Despite being short-handed themselves, Memphis matched Portland’s energy and entered the break tied at 59. Seven Grizzlies players finished in double figures, but the collective effort ultimately fell short against a more experienced Portland group.
Jaylen Wells led Memphis with 24 points, and GG Jackson added 20. Prosper, who signed a multi-year contract with the team earlier in the day, contributed 17 points and nine rebounds in his eighth start. Cam Spencer scored all 12 of his points before halftime and finished with seven rebounds and seven assists. Jahmai Mashack added 13 off the bench, while Walter Clayton Jr. and Javon Small each chipped in 12 and 11 points respectively.
Memphis was playing the second night of a back-to-back after a 117-110 loss to Minnesota on Tuesday, and Ja Morant missed his 18th consecutive game with a left elbow injury. Zach Edey is also out for the remainder of the season following ankle surgery.
Portland sealed the result with a 24-19 scoring advantage over the final nine minutes, converting timely shots and limiting Memphis enough to close it out.
The Trail Blazers now lead the Grizzlies by six games in the chase for the final play-in spot in the West. Their next test comes Friday on the road against the Houston Rockets, who have won seven of their last 10 games and currently sit third in the Western Conference standings.