The Memphis Grizzlies controlled the night from start to finish, beating the Portland Trail Blazers 119-96 on Sunday at FedExForum behind a balanced attack and early defensive pressure.
Memphis improved to 11-13 with its seventh win in nine games.
Santi Aldama led the Grizzlies with 22 points off the bench, shooting 7-for-11 and knocking down three 3-pointers to help stabilize the offense in each half.
Jaylen Wells and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope scored 17 apiece, with Wells adding six assists and Caldwell-Pope hitting all three of his attempts from beyond the arc.
Jock Landale contributed 15 points and eight rebounds, giving Memphis an interior lift against a Portland squad missing both of its primary centers.
Jerami Grant scored 21 points to lead the Trail Blazers, who fell to 9-15 and dropped their third straight.
Deni Avdija finished with 17 points, seven rebounds and seven assists, but his streak of games with at least 25 points, five boards and five assists ended at five.
Shaedon Sharpe added 17 off the bench, continuing to serve as Portland’s primary scoring boost behind Grant.
Portland entered without Donovan Clingan for a second straight night and lost Robert Williams III shortly before tipoff due to illness.
The absences forced rookie Yang Hansen into his first start, and the 7-foot-2 center provided four points and five rebounds in 19 minutes.
Memphis built a 40-20 lead after one quarter as Portland committed nine turnovers and shot 35 percent in the opening half.
The Trail Blazers’ 46 halftime points matched their lowest output in any half this season.
Portland opened the third quarter with a 19-3 push, cutting the deficit to 69-65 as Grant and Avdija finally found rhythm.
Memphis responded with a 23-13 run to close the quarter, taking a 92-78 lead into the fourth as Aldama and Landale steadied the offense.
The Grizzlies finished with 51 rebounds and 28 assists, while generating 18 steals and 16 blocks to keep Portland off balance.
Memphis also capitalized on Portland’s 25 turnovers, turning them into consistent transition points and preventing the visitors from stringing together possessions late.
Caldwell-Pope and Wells combined for six made threes, while Zach Edey’s 12 points and 10 rebounds helped close the interior gap.
Portland travels to New Orleans on Thursday to complete its five-game road trip.
Memphis continues its homestand Friday against Utah.
