Holiday and Clingan boost Trail Blazers to 135-119 win over Jazz

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Jrue Holiday scored a season-high 31 points and Donovan Clingan added 23 points and 18 rebounds as the Portland Trail Blazers beat Utah 135-119 on Thursday night — hours after the Jazz lost Jaren Jackson Jr. to knee surgery and were fined $500,000 by the NBA for sitting healthy stars.

Clingan also had a career-high seven assists and three blocks. Holiday had nine rebounds and seven assists to lead Portland (27-29) to its fourth victory in five games.

Jerami Grant added 18 points and Scoot Henderson scored 15 in his fourth game this season.

Brice Sensabaugh had 28 points while Ace Bailey, Kyle Filipowski and Isaiah Collier each scored 15 for Utah (18-38).

In his first NBA game, Utah two-way player Blake Hinson scored 11 points and hit a 3-pointer to pull the Jazz to 111-108. But the Blazers responded with an 11-2 run capped by Holiday's layup to clinch the win.

Clingan sparked a 10-0 spurt with dominating play on both ends to give the Trail Blazers a 75-65 lead. Portland outscored the short-handed Jazz 40-23 in the third quarter to take control.

Jackson, who led the Jazz to a 2-1 record since arriving from Memphis in a trade last week, did not play. In a post-trade physical exam, Jackson was diagnosed with a benign growth in his left knee and will have surgery next week.

Lauri Markkanen sat out to rest on the second game of a back-to-back, and Keyonte George was sidelined with a sprained right ankle. Earlier in the day, the NBA fined Utah $500,000 for not playing Markkanen and Jackson in the fourth quarter of games at Orlando and Miami. The Jazz beat the Heat 115-111 on Monday without their stars.

The bench got even shorter for Utah when Vince Williams Jr., who arrived with Jackson from Memphis, got two technicals with 8:59 left until halftime and was ejected. Oscar Tshiebwe then received stitches above his eye after getting elbowed in the first quarter and entered concussion protocol. Rotation regulars Kevin Love and Jusuf Nurkic were healthy but did not play.

The Trail Blazers were missing their top two scorers as well with Deni Avdija (back) and Shaedon Sharpe (calf) unavailable.

Portland hosts Denver on Friday, Feb. 20.

Utah visits Memphis on Feb. 20.

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA

Utah Jazz forward Brice Sensabaugh, right, shoots over Portland Trail Blazers guard Sidy Cissoko, left, during the second half of an NBA basketball game, Thursday, Feb. 12, 2026, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Tyler Tate)

Utah Jazz guard Svi Mykhailiuk (10) goes to the basket for a layup guarded by Portland Trail Blazers guard Caleb Love (2) during the second half of an NBA basketball game, Thursday, Feb. 12, 2026, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Tyler Tate)

Portland Trail Blazers guard Scoot Henderson (00) drives to the basket during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Utah Jazz, Thursday, Feb. 12, 2026, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Tyler Tate)

Portland Trail Blazers center Donovan Clingan, center, goes to the basket guarded by Utah Jazz forward Brice Sensabaugh, left, and Utah Jazz forward Kyle Filipowski, right, during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Thursday, Feb. 12, 2026, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Tyler Tate)

Portland Trail Blazers guard Jrue Holiday (5) shoots during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Utah Jazz, Thursday, Feb. 12, 2026, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Tyler Tate)

PHOENIX (AP) — Flavor Flav was among the celebrities in attendance at the women's Final Four on Friday night, sitting courtside for the UConn-South Carolina game with former Gamecocks player Aliyah Boston.

Flav, a founding member of the hip-hop group Public Enemy, is also friends with Gamecocks coach Dawn Staley.

The 67-year-old Flav is a longtime supporter of women’s sports and attended various Olympic competitions this winter. He invited the U.S. women's ice hockey team to Las Vegas after their gold medal win in February, shortly after the women turned down a trip to Washington.

AP March Madness bracket: https://apnews.com/hub/ncaa-womens-bracket and coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness

Rapper Flavor Flav attends a woman's NCAA college basketball tournament semifinal game between UConn and South Carolina at the Final Four, Friday, April 3, 2026, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)