PORTLAND — Damian Lillard scored 33 points, including 13 straight for Portland late in the fourth quarter, and the Trail Blazers held off the Memphis Grizzlies 112-109 on Friday night.
Allen Crabbe added 23 points off the bench for the Blazers, who have won three straight for the first time since early December. Mason Plumlee had his fourth double-double in a row with 13 points and 10 rebounds.
Marc Gasol, coming off a career-high 42 points Wednesday in a victory over Toronto, scored 32 for the Grizzlies. Zach Randolph added 17 points and 13 rebounds.
Portland led by 18 in the first half, but the Grizzlies closed the gap in the third quarter and the teams traded the lead in the fourth.
Lillard gave Portland a 97-96 lead with a step-back jumper with 5:40 left, then added a 3-pointer to extend it. Randolph answered with a layup for the Grizzlies, but Lillard hit another 3 to push it to 103-98.
After Mike Conley made a 3-pointer for the Grizzlies, Lillard added his third straight 3 to give Portland a 106-103 edge with 3:45 to go.
Conley made a pair of free throws with 1:31 remaining to get the Grizzlies to 110-109 before CJ McCollum’s floater provided the final margin. McCollum finished with 18 points.
Portland was without Ed Davis for the third straight game because of a left wrist injury. Maurice Harkless missed his second game with a calf injury.
The Grizzlies had starters JaMychal Green and Chandler Parsons back in the lineup after both missed a 101-99 victory at home over Toronto. Both had left knee issues.
Memphis was without rookie Deyonta Davis because of personal reasons.
Al-Farouq Aminu, in a new role coming off the bench, hit a 3-pointer that gave the Blazers a 37-28 lead. Lillard added a long, step-back jumper. Evan Turner’s reverse layup extended the lead to 53-37.
Vince Carter’s 3-pointer pulled the Grizzlies to 59-50.
There was a scary moment when Lillard slipped on the floor late, but he continued playing and returned to start the second half.
Trailing 62-56 at the break, the Grizzlies closed to 64-60 on Conley’s 3-pointer. Memphis narrowed it again to 76-74 on Gasol’s jumper, but Crabbe answered with consecutive 3-pointers for the Blazers.
Carter made the second of two free throws that finally gave Memphis the lead at 86-85 early in the fourth quarter.
Crabbe matched his career high with his sixth 3-pointer to put Portland up 90-88 with 10 minutes left. The Blazers held onto the lead until Randolph’s layup put Memphis back in front 94-93.
Conley finished with 17 points and 10 assists.
Tip-ins
Grizzlies: It was the opener of a six-game road trip for Memphis. The 10-day journey is the longest for the Grizzlies since they were gone for six games between March 24 and April 1, 2007. … Carter turned 40 on Thursday.
Trail Blazers: Portland coach Terry Stotts suggested that perhaps the Blazers’ record, at seven games under .500, had something to do with why Lillard and McCollum were snubbed for the All-Star Game. “Disappointment,” Stotts said. “I think both are playing at an All-Star level.”
