Jrue Holiday poured in a season-high 31 points and Donovan Clingan dominated the paint with 23 points and 18 rebounds as the Portland Trail Blazers rolled past the short-handed Utah Jazz 135-119 on Thursday night.
Clingan added a career-best seven assists and three blocks, controlling the interior on both ends, while Holiday flirted with a triple-double by contributing nine rebounds and seven assists. Jerami Grant chipped in 18 points and Scoot Henderson scored 15 in just his fourth appearance of the season, helping Portland (27-29) secure its fourth win in five games.
Utah (18-38) was led by Brice Sensabaugh’s 28 points, while Ace Bailey, Kyle Filipowski and Isaiah Collier each finished with 15. Two-way guard Blake Hinson made his NBA debut and scored 11 points, including a 3-pointer that pulled the Jazz within 111-108 in the fourth quarter. Portland answered with an 11-2 run, capped by Holiday’s driving layup, to regain control for good.
The Trail Blazers seized momentum in the third quarter. Clingan sparked a 10-0 burst with strong rim protection and interior scoring, pushing Portland ahead 75-65. The Blazers outscored Utah 40-23 in the period to take a commanding lead into the fourth.
The Jazz entered the night shorthanded and under scrutiny. Earlier in the day, the NBA fined Utah $500,000 for sitting healthy stars in recent games. The situation worsened when Jaren Jackson Jr., who had led the team to a 2-1 record since arriving in a trade from Memphis, was ruled out after a post-trade physical revealed a benign growth in his left knee that will require surgery next week.
Lauri Markkanen rested on the second night of a back-to-back, and Keyonte George missed the game with a sprained right ankle. Utah’s rotation took further hits when Vince Williams Jr. was ejected after picking up two technical fouls late in the first half, and Oscar Tshiebwe left after suffering a cut above his eye and entering concussion protocol. Veterans Kevin Love and Jusuf Nurkic were available but did not play.
Portland was also without leading scorers Deni Avdija (back) and Shaedon Sharpe (calf), but still shot efficiently and controlled the glass to pull away.
Up next:
The Trail Blazers host Denver on Friday, while the Jazz travel to Memphis.
