Santi Aldama Lights Up Utah as Grizzlies Outgun Jazz in Wild Shootout
If you’re looking for a game that perfectly sums up modern NBA chaos, this Grizzlies vs Jazz matchup in Salt Lake City was exactly that. Points came in bunches, runs swung both ways, and by the end of the night, it was Memphis walking away with a loud 137-128 win at the Delta Center.
The story of the night was Santi Aldama. A career-high 37 points were poured in, and it felt like every big Memphis moment had his fingerprints on it. Seven three-pointers were knocked down, and the Jazz simply couldn’t find an answer once he got rolling. It wasn’t just scoring either. A season-high seven assists were added, and the offense flowed through him whenever Memphis needed stability.
From the opening tip, Memphis looked locked in. The Grizzlies shot efficiently in the first half, moving the ball with purpose and building a double-digit lead late in the second quarter. For a moment, it looked like things might get out of hand. But Utah wasn’t going away quietly. A late Jazz surge trimmed the gap to just two points by halftime, and suddenly the building had energy again.
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That momentum carried into the third quarter, where Utah briefly grabbed its first lead of the game. Kyle Filipowski and Keyonte George pushed the pace, and the Jazz fed off transition chances and aggressive drives. Still, that lead didn’t last long. Aldama responded with a dominant stretch, scoring 16 points in the third quarter alone to swing control right back to Memphis.
What stood out most was how connected the Grizzlies were offensively. A total of 41 assists were recorded, a number that highlights how unselfish the performance was. Cam Spencer quietly had one of the best nights of his young career, handing out a career-high 13 assists while also chipping in 11 points. Jaren Jackson Jr. added 21 points, GG Jackson contributed 18 in his first start of the season, and Jock Landale provided steady production inside with 17 points.
Utah had its own bright spots. Filipowski finished with 25 points and 13 rebounds, while George added 24 points and kept the pressure on throughout the night. Taylor Hendricks and Ace Bailey also chipped in, helping the Jazz stay within striking distance deep into the fourth quarter.
In the end, Memphis’ shooting efficiency told the story. Fifty-six percent shooting from the field and 19 made threes proved too much to overcome. The win snapped a two-game losing streak for the Grizzlies and reinforced the idea that even with injuries and rotation changes, this team can still explode offensively on any given night.
Both teams now move forward with lessons learned, but this one will be remembered as the night Santi Aldama took center stage and turned a Western Conference clash into a personal highlight reel.
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