Jaren Jackson Jr. scored 28 points and pulled down 12 rebounds as the Memphis Grizzlies held on for a 116-110 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday night in Minneapolis.
Jock Landale added 20 points and 10 rebounds off the bench for Memphis, which won for the ninth time in its past 12 games. Jaylen Wells scored 17 points, Cedric Coward tallied 13 and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope chipped in with 12.
Julius Randle scored 21 points to lead Minnesota, which lost for only the second time in its past nine games. Rudy Gobert (16 points, 16 rebounds) and Donte DiVincenzo (19 points, 11 rebounds) each registered a double-double.
Both teams played without their top playmakers. The Timberwolves’ Anthony Edwards missed his third game in a row because of a right foot injury, and Ja Morant sat out for the Grizzlies because of a left ankle sprain.
The Grizzlies held firm after the Timberwolves pulled within 106-103 with 1:25 to play.
Landale buried a 3-pointer on the next possession to double the Grizzlies’ lead. Jackson followed that with a pull-up jump shot to make it 111-103 with 47.7 seconds to go.
The Timberwolves battled to keep the score close. After Wells made one of two free-throw attempts to put the Grizzlies on top 114-107 with 15.9 seconds remaining, DiVincenzo made a 3-pointer to narrow the gap to four with 5.3 seconds to go.
Wells made two more free throws in the closing seconds to secure the victory.
The Grizzlies led 88-83 entering the fourth quarter.
A 14-0 run helped Memphis capture the lead during the third quarter. The Grizzlies turned a 76-67 deficit into an 81-76 advantage thanks to the scoring outburst.
Wells and Vince Williams Jr. combined for three free throws to start the scoring run. Landale and Caldwell-Pope followed with back-to-back 3-pointers, Landale added a tip shot, and Jackson buried a 3-pointer to finish the surge with 2:57 left in the third quarter.
Memphis led by seven points in the final minute of the period, but Bones Hyland made a pair of free throws to cut the Timberwolves’ deficit to five points heading into the final session.
Minnesota held on to a 62-61 lead at the half.
