Trail Blazers seize control after halftime, beat short-handed Utah Jazz 135-119 before All-Star break

Portland turns a two-point halftime deficit into a decisive road win

The Portland Trail Blazers pulled away in the second half on Thursday night, defeating the Utah Jazz 135-119 in Salt Lake City. Portland trailed 63-61 at halftime, then opened separation with a dominant third quarter that flipped the game’s rhythm and pace.

Portland outscored Utah 40-23 in the third, using a surge that included a 10-0 spurt to build a double-digit cushion. The Blazers maintained that advantage into the fourth quarter, answering a late Utah push with an 11-2 run to close out the result.

Holiday’s scoring and Clingan’s all-around production define Portland’s night

Jrue Holiday led Portland with a season-high 31 points and added nine rebounds and seven assists. Rookie center Donovan Clingan paired inside scoring with playmaking, finishing with 23 points, 18 rebounds, a career-high seven assists and three blocks.

Jerami Grant scored 18 points, while Scoot Henderson added 15 points in his fourth game of the season. Portland’s third-quarter control was built on sustained pressure at both ends, with Clingan anchoring key defensive stretches and Holiday providing half-court stability as the game opened up.

• Final score: Trail Blazers 135, Jazz 119
• Quarter-by-quarter: Portland 28-33-40-34; Utah 31-32-23-33
• Portland leaders: Holiday 31 points; Clingan 23 points, 18 rebounds, 7 assists

Utah’s rotation thins further amid absences and an in-game ejection

Utah played without several key contributors. Lauri Markkanen sat on the second night of a back-to-back, and Keyonte George was sidelined with a sprained right ankle. Jaren Jackson Jr. did not play after being diagnosed, during a post-trade physical exam, with a benign growth in his left knee; surgery was scheduled for the following week.

The Jazz also lost Vince Williams Jr. to an ejection after two technical fouls before halftime. In the first quarter, Oscar Tshiebwe required stitches above his eye following an elbow and later entered concussion protocol.

Despite the short rotation, Utah had multiple scorers in double figures. Brice Sensabaugh led with 28 points; Ace Bailey, Kyle Filipowski and Isaiah Collier scored 15 apiece. Two-way player Blake Hinson, appearing in his first NBA game, scored 11 and hit a three-pointer that helped bring Utah within 111-108 before Portland’s late response.

League discipline frames the backdrop as both teams head into the break

Earlier Thursday, the NBA fined Utah $500,000 for conduct detrimental to the league stemming from decisions in games on Feb. 7 against Orlando and Feb. 9 against Miami, in which Markkanen and Jackson were removed before the fourth quarter and did not return despite being able to continue and with outcomes in doubt. The league also fined Indiana $100,000 related to roster management in a Feb. 3 game against Utah.

Up next: Portland resumes after the break by hosting Denver on Feb. 20; Utah visits Memphis on Feb. 20.