The Memphis Grizzlies walked into Minneapolis and left with a composed, statement win. In a tight finish that felt like a playoff test, Jaren Jackson Jr. delivered the calmest touch in the loudest moment, dropping a soft floater with 47 seconds left to seal a 116-110 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves. It was the kind of road result that says as much about who you are in December as it does about where you want to be in April.

Jackson anchored Memphis with 28 points and 12 rebounds, carrying over the form he flashed two nights earlier when he posted a season-high 31 in a win over the Clippers. This time, he added the exclamation point, guiding a group that looked resilient, together, and opportunistic when it mattered most.

Jaren Jackson Jr. turns big numbers into big moments

There’s scoring, and then there’s timing. Jackson did both. He scored efficiently throughout and, when the game begged for a steady hand, he gave it a light one. That late floater didn’t just pad the box score. It quieted the crowd, settled his teammates, and put a cap on a night where his two-way presence framed the outcome.

Coming off that 31-point burst against the Clippers on Monday, Jackson’s back-to-back heavy lifts are a strong signal. He’s playing like a true first option, showing patience, control, and trust in his reads. For Memphis to climb in the West, this is the formula: JJJ as the centerpiece who can score, rebound, and then end the game on his terms.

“Is this JJJ’s next step — not just points, but closing DNA?”

Grizzlies flip the game with a 14-2 surge

Down 76-67, Memphis didn’t blink. Instead, the Grizzlies stacked stops, pushed tempo when it was there, and shared the ball. The result: a 14-2 run with six different players scoring in the spurt, flipping the score to 81-76 and tilting the game’s feel. That kind of balanced run says two things: the defense tightened, and the offense trusted the extra pass.

Runs like this don’t just change the scoreboard. They change belief. Memphis looked organized, energized, and committed to doing the small things — securing the defensive glass, driving with purpose, and finding the open shooter. The Wolves never quite got the cushion back after that swing.

Nick Landale’s timely shooting stretches Minnesota

On the road, role players often make the difference. Nick Landale did exactly that, knocking down four 3-pointers, capped by a late make that stood as his career-high fourth 3. Those shots mattered because they created space for Jackson and forced Minnesota’s defense to choose between help in the paint or staying home on the arc.

Every contender needs someone who can tilt a defense without needing the ball often. Landale was that spacer and momentum keeper. When the Wolves packed the lane, his timing and confidence gave Memphis a clean counterpunch.

“Role players decide road games — and Landale’s shooting swung this one.”

Brandon Clarke’s return: a quiet box score, a loud impact

Numbers tell part of it: 6 points and 3 rebounds. But the headline inside the headline is that Brandon Clarke played his first game since March 19, returning from knee issues after undergoing arthroscopic surgery in September for synovitis. He looked bouncy enough, active on the glass, and smart on his rolls — the exact connective tissue Memphis has missed.

Clarke’s timing will take a few games, but his return matters. He gives the Grizzlies an energy piece who screens, cuts, and finishes. He helps them win the margin plays — that extra rebound, that second effort — which are the backbone of close road wins like this one.

How the game flowed: box score by quarter

Memphis 29-32-27-28 = 116; Minnesota 27-35-21-27 = 110. Read between the lines and you see the swing. Minnesota edged the second quarter, but the Grizzlies won the third — the same stretch that contained that 14-2 burst — and matched late composure with late shotmaking. Holding the Wolves to 21 third-quarter points was a defensive tell; scoring 27 of their own was the offensive answer.

Why this win matters for Memphis right now

Per the recap header, Memphis moves to 13-14, a marker that feels like a milepost for a team trying to stack momentum in December. This wasn’t a cruise-control win. It was earned with patience, balance, and a star doing star things in the final minute.

There’s also an identity piece taking shape. With Jackson steady at the top, role players hitting timely shots, and Clarke returning to the rotation, Memphis looks more complete. If they keep defending in waves and finding threes within the flow, the climb toward — and beyond — .500 is very real.

“If Clarke is back and JJJ keeps this pace, watch the standings.”

What’s next on the schedule

The Grizzlies return home to host Washington on Saturday, a chance to even up and push this mini-surge forward. Minnesota, meanwhile, hosts Oklahoma City on Friday in a matchup that will demand quick corrections and sharp focus after a draining finish.

Big-picture takeaway

This was a grown-up road win. Memphis didn’t panic when the game tilted against them. They answered with a six-man scoring burst, trusted their star to close, and welcomed an important rotation piece back into the fold. In mid-December, you want to see traits, not just totals. The Grizzlies showed both.

As the calendar inches toward the new year, banked wins like this are gold. They build belief, chemistry, and rhythm — and they remind the rest of the league that Memphis still knows how to solve a tough road puzzle when the clock is ticking under a minute and the margins are thin.