MEMPHIS, Jan 13 — Jonas Valanciunas scored 15 of his team-high 31 points in the third quarter today as the Memphis Grizzlies broke open a tight game en route to their fifth straight win, a 122-102 victory over the Golden State Warriors.

Jaren Jackson Jr. added 21 points for the Grizzlies, who captured the season series 2-1 from the Warriors with consecutive wins after Golden State had won 114-95 at Memphis in November.

The Warriors led by as many as seven points in the first half, and were within 63-62 in the second minute of the third period after a 3-pointer by Glenn Robinson III, before the Grizzlies gradually pulled away.

Valanciunas led the surge with six hoops, including a 3-pointer, as Memphis outscored Golden State 35-17 in the quarter to go up 95-76. The closest the Warriors could get in the fourth quarter was 15.

Valanciunas hit 13 of his 17 shots and also found time for a season-high 19 rebounds for Memphis, which outshot Golden State 45 per cent to 38 and outrebounded the guests 60-47.

The 31 points were one off Valanciunas’ season-high, set in December at Chicago. The 19 rebounds were his most since pulling 20 at Phoenix last March.

Ja Morant also recorded a double-double for the Grizzlies with 11 points and a game-high 10 assists, while Tyus Jones and Grayson Allen each added 11 points. De’Anthony Melton had 10 and Brandon Clarke scored nine to go with 11 rebounds.

D’Angelo Russell returned from a six-game absence with a sore shoulder to pour in a game-high 34 points for the Warriors, who lost their season-high eighth straight.

It was Russell’s ninth time scoring 30-plus points this season.

Alec Burks and Jordan Poole chipped in with 13 points apiece for Golden State, while Omari Spellman finished with 12 and Eric Paschall 10.

Fifteen of Russell’s 34 points came on five 3-pointers. Golden State shot 17-for-34 from behind the arc in defeat. — Reuters