SALT LAKE CITY — Center Marc Gasol scored 23 points and the Memphis Grizzlies won for the eight straight time, beating the Utah Jazz 100-90 on Wednesday night at EnergySolutions Arena.
Gasol hit 9 of 18 shots from the field, scored 15 points in the second half, grabbed six rebounds and had four assists in helping Southwest Division-leading Memphis improve to 37-12.
Power forward Zach Randolph contributed 18 points and 11 rebounds, and three other Grizzlies scored in double figures. Guard Nick Calathes chipped in with seven assists and six points.
The Grizzlies, who have won 12 of 13, have outscored opponents by 13.0 points per game during the winning streak.
It has been almost two years since the Grizzlies last won eight straight. Memphis hadn’t compiled this many victories in a row since February 2013.
Point guard Trey Burke totaled 21 points, four assists and three rebounds off the bench for Utah.
The Jazz lost for the second night in a row in a tough back-to-back situation, fighting until the final buzzer in a 103-102 loss at Portland on Tuesday followed by a rough matchup against the grinding Grizzlies.
Utah (17-32) had won three of five before the two losses.
Memphis took an early lead against the Jazz, pulling ahead 30-23 at the end of the first quarter after a buzzer-beating half court shot by Randolph.
The Jazz managed to stay within about six points of the Grizzlies for most of the night,but could never mount a sustained challenge against Memphis’ defense.
Power forward Enes Kanter continued his strong play with 16 points and 10 rebounds, and small forward Gordon Hayward added 15 points and center Derrick Favors 11.
Utah snapped a four-game losing streak to the Grizzlies with a road win on Dec. 22. The Jazz picked up that victory when Randolph and Tony Allen were sidelined with injuries.
The Jazz, who continue their four-games-in-five-nights stretch Friday in Phoenix, weren’t that fortunate this time.
NOTES: The Grizzlies came into the game with a 20-2 record against teams below .500, second only to the Warriors’ 22-2 mark. … The Grizzlies hadn’t been outscored during the first or second quarter in their seven-game winning streak before facing the Jazz. … The next two Jazz opponents feature head coaches who used to play and coach for Utah: Phoenix’s Jeff Hornacek and Sacramento’s Tyrone Corbin. … Utah C Rudy Gobert leads the NBA in blocked shots since Jan. 1 with 48 before Wednesday’s game. Miami’s Hassan Whiteside is second with 45.