The Memphis Grizzlies kept their perfect start alive Thursday night, rolling past the Portland Trail Blazers 124-103 at Moda Center to move to 5-0.
The game was tight through three quarters, but Memphis slammed the door in the fourth. The Grizzlies turned a close contest into a comfortable one by outscoring Portland 33-20 in the final period.
Cameron Boozer was the headliner. The No. 3 pick delivered his first triple-double with 18 points, 12 rebounds and 12 assists in 28 minutes, a night that stood out even in a lopsided win. According to Commercial Appeal's Damichael Cole, Boozer became the second-youngest player in league history to record a triple-double.
Cole also noted that Boozer missed Josh Giddey's record by just 20 days. Giddey, now with the Chicago Bulls, set the mark with the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2022.
Boozer was efficient, too, going 6-of-10 from the field and 4-of-5 from deep. Memphis as a team finished 18-of-42 from beyond the arc.
Cedric Coward added 17 points, seven rebounds, four assists and three steals, while Isaiah Stewart chipped in 18 points and three rebounds off the bench.
Boozer's all-around work helped offset an off night from Ty Jerome. The league's top scorer managed just 10 points on 3-of-12 shooting.
Boozer has looked the part of the polished, ready-made prospect many believed he was coming out of Duke. He is averaging 15.4 points, 10.8 rebounds and 6.2 assists, though his shooting has been a concern at 32.4% from the floor.
Memphis now has Boozer, Jerome, Coward, Stewart, Zach Edey and Jaylen Wells as the foundation of its promising future.
The Grizzlies will play the Sacramento Kings on Saturday.
In Other News...
Ja Morant's Return To Memphis Took A Brutal Turn Fast
Ja Morants first game against the Grizzlies since being traded had the kind of emotional pull that naturally comes with a reunion, but it took an abrupt turn early in the fourth quarter when he went down with a left hamstring injury. He was unable to return, closing out the night with 14 points, 2 rebounds and 3 assists in a game that had already carried extra weight simply because of who was on the other sideline.
For Memphis fans, the concern shifts immediately from the storyline of the matchup to the condition of one of the franchises most recognizable former stars. Trail Blazers coach Micah Nori said Morant felt a twinge, and more clarity is expected tomorrow afternoon, leaving this one with a pause where the aftermath should be. [Read more 🡒]
Grizzlies Frontcourt Depth Is Already Facing A Familiar Concern
The Grizzlies frontcourt depth took another hit in the win over Portland when Quinten Post went down with a right ankle injury and was ruled doubtful to return. He did not play again, leaving Memphis to navigate the rest of the game without one of the big bodies it has been trying to lean on as the season settles in.
Isaiah Stewarts recent path only sharpens the concern. He already missed the season opener with an ankle issue, then came back after two weeks and has been productive since his return, but his own history and Posts latest setback put the same old question back on the table for Memphis: how stable can the big-man rotation really be if the ankle trouble keeps popping up? [Read more 🡒]
Cameron Boozer Just Put Memphis In Some Rare NBA History
Cameron Boozers night in Memphis was the kind that tends to travel fast around the league. In the Grizzlies win over Portland, the young forward filled up every part of the stat sheet, handing out passes, cleaning the glass and knocking down enough shots to turn a strong performance into something historic.
For Memphis, the eye-catching part is not just the all-around production but the age at which it arrived. Boozer became the youngest forward ever to post a triple-double, a marker that had previously belonged to LeBron James, and he did it in just his first one. There will be plenty of time to sort out what it means long term, but for one night the Grizzlies had a player making a very rare kind of NBA history. [Read more 🡒]