The Memphis Grizzlies were going in the wrong direction with two straight losses.

An already injury-riddled situation wasn’t helped Dec. 23 against the Utah Jazz when rookie sensation Cedric Coward was sidelined by heel soreness, the first time he has missed a game this season.

The Jazz were without star forward Lauri Markkanen (groin) and veteran starting center Jusuf Nurkic (rest).

In other words, neither team had an excuse.

Somehow, the Grizzlies were able to make the most of what they had, with 41 assists and 19 made 3-pointers in a 137-128 win at Delta Center. The assists total was one shy of the franchise record.

Seven Grizzlies players scored in double figures. Six of those players have been regular rotation members; GG Jackson got his first start of the season.

Here’s how the Grizzlies (14-16) fared in the win over Utah (10-19).

GG Jackson makes most of opportunity

GG Jackson adopted a less-is-more mentality in the summer. The idea was to do less dribbling and thinking while yielding better overall offensive results.

He showed what that process could look like against Utah. He didn’t pound the ball five times on the floor before getting into his scoring moves. He was decisive and selective, leading to an efficient performance: 18 points on 7-for-9 shooting and nine rebounds.

This was a big opportunity for Jackson. Not only was Coward out, but John Konchar sat because of a thumb injury and Vince Williams Jr. is dealing with left knee soreness. Jackson got the call, and he took advantage.

The other Jackson — Jaren Jackson Jr. — also had a solid game. He finished with 21 points, seven rebounds and three blocks.

Santi Claus comes to Utah

Santi Aldama had one of his best offensive performances of his career. He finished with a career high-tying 37 points and seven made 3-pointers. It was the second time he has topped 30 points this season.

Memphis has chosen to start Aldama over reserve center Jock Landale in recent games, and Aldama is making it look like a smart decision. Not only is he scoring at a high level, but he’s affecting the game in other ways. He added seven assists and five rebounds while shooting 13-for-21 from field.

Some point guard help arrives

Point guard Javon Small beat his estimated recovery timeline from a turf toe injury by more than a week, and he played 12 minutes off the bench. He didn’t score, but he finished with seven assists.

While Small and the other point guards have been out, Memphis has developed a new primary distributor in Cam Spencer. He finished with a career-high 13 assists against Utah, and he had 11 points, extending his streak of scoring in double figures to 13 games.

Memphis might be getting more reinforcements at the position soon. Ja Morant has worked out before the past two games as he recovers from a left ankle sprain. He’s currently listed as day to day.

The Grizzlies are back in action Dec. 26 at home against the Milwaukee Bucks (7 p.m. CT, FanDuel Sports Network).

Damichael Cole is the Memphis Grizzlies beat writer for The Commercial Appeal. Contact Damichael at damichael.cole@commercialappeal.com. Follow Damichael on X, formerly known as Twitter, @DamichaelC.