PORTLAND, Ore. -- Coach Terry Stotts has been preaching defense to his players through the first half of the NBA season. Maybe the message is beginning to sink in.

The Portland Trail Blazers held the Utah Jazz to .408 shooting in a 99-85 victory Wednesday night at the Moda Center.

It was the second-lowest scoring total against Portland this season. The Trail Blazers beat Cleveland 105-76 at home on Dec. 26.

"I was really pleased with our defense tonight," Stotts said. "We played four quarters of pretty good defensive ball. It was one of our better games as far as being aggressive at that end."

Guard Damian Lillard scored 21 points with 10 assists despite sitting out the fourth quarter to lead six players scoring in double figures for the Blazers (17-24). Guard CJ McCollum added 15 points and eight assists, forward Meyers Leonard and guard Gerald Henderson scored 12 points apiece, guard Allen Crabbe scored 11 and forward Al-Farouq Aminu scored 10.

Forward Gordon Hayward collected 19 points and nine assists and guard Rodney Hood had 19 points for the Jazz (17-21), who lost for the 11th time in 16 outings.

Lillard scored 13 points in the third quarter as Portland broke open a game in which it led 43-37 at halftime. Lillard was 5-for-8 from the field, including 3-for-5 on 3-point attempts, and Portland outscored Utah 34-25 in the period.

"It's like a slugger sitting on a pitch," Utah coach Quin Snyder said. "The pitcher throws a high fast ball and (the slugger) knocks it out. That happened a few times."

Lillard said a third-quarter defensive lapse happens often.

"At the start of the game, (opponents) are locked in on the scouting report," Lillard said. "They want to stop you and they're really focused and have a lot of energy. Then as the game goes on, everybody wears now physically and mentally. (In the third quarter) I was able to pick my spots and try to be aggressive."

Portland shot .443 from the field and .423 (11 for 26) from 3-point range. The Blazers were 10-for-18 from beyond the arc over the final three quarters after going 1-for-8 in the first period. The Blazers missed 10 of its first 11 shots from the field overall.

"We really struggled offensively early," Stotts said. "It was nice to see us get going in the third quarter."

Henderson came off the bench to make three straight 3-pointers and score 10 points in the second quarter to lift Portland to a 43-37 halftime edge.

The Blazers outscored the Jazz 8-2 to start the third quarter to go on top 51-39. Lillard and Leonard propelled Portland to a 70-54 lead late in the quarter. Lillard finished with 13 points in the period and the Blazers were ahead 77-62 going into the fourth quarter.

Portland extended the difference to 89-69 with seven minutes left, and it was over.

"We came out the third quarter and made a lot of mistakes," Snyder said. "We sometimes don't have a lot of offensive punch right now."

NOTES: Portland G Damian Lillard had seven rebounds, falling three short of notching his first career triple-double. Lillard was in his fifth game back after missing seven games with plantar fasciitis. "I'd like to have had a chance to try to get it, but it was nice to have the rest on the foot." ... F Derrick Favors (back) missed his 11th straight game, but Utah coach Quin Snyder said he’s getting closer to his return. "A back is a tricky thing," Snyder said. "We just want to be smart about him not coming back too soon, and making sure he's 100 percent healthy." ... C Rudy Gobert played his fourth game after missing 18 with a knee injury. Gobert had three points and eight rebounds in 24 minutes, going 0-for-5 from the field and 3-for-6 from the free-throw line. "His competitiveness has been there," Snyder said. "Sometimes when you come back from an injury, you're a little tentative, but he hasn't been that way at all." ... In six games over the past two seasons, Portland G Damian Lillard has averaged 25.2 points on 51-percent shooting against the Jazz. ... Portland coach Terry Stotts wore a scarf in honor of the city's pro soccer team during the pregame. "It's Timbers Night," Stotts explained. "We're celebrated the MLS championship team, and what better way?"