The Memphis Grizzlies made the trip to Portland look easy on the scoreboard, even if the game itself was anything but. Memphis outlasted the Trail Blazers 124-103 on the road to finish a 4-0 trip and improve to 5-0, with Cam Boozer delivering the kind of all-around night that can swing a game when the pressure starts building.
Boozer was everywhere. He put together the best performance of his young NBA career, finishing with 18 points, 12 assists and 11 rebounds for a triple-double. That made him the youngest frontcourt player in NBA history to record one.
The scoring touch was there too, and that may have been the most encouraging part of all. After struggling from the field in three of his first four games, Boozer looked far more comfortable against Portland, going 6-for-10 overall and 4-of-5 from three.
Memphis had to work for it early. Portland strung together multiple 9-0 runs in the first half and seemed to control the game for long stretches, but the Grizzlies kept answering. Even with Zach Edey and Isaiah Stewart battling foul trouble, Memphis stayed close enough to take over later.
The biggest response came from a mix of shot-making and composure. Boozer, Quentin Post and Jaylen Wells all hit timely shots as the Grizzlies kept the Blazers from turning those runs into something bigger.
Foul trouble was a real issue from the start, especially with Edey. His tendency to pick up whistles early has been a storyline already this season, and that problem showed up again here.
Post provided an important lift before his night ended with an ankle injury. He had 10 points in just seven minutes and knocked down two threes, helping Memphis stay afloat in the first half. His injury only adds more weight to the availability of Edey and Stewart if Post is forced to miss time.
Cedric Coward also delivered a strong showing in what looks like a significant step forward in his second season. When Portland tried to create separation, Coward helped steady Memphis. He ended with 17 points, eight rebounds and four assists while shooting 7-for-14 from the floor and 3-for-5 from deep.
The Grizzlies kept getting useful production beyond their headline names, and that mattered in a game with momentum swings all over it. Cam Spencer finished with 8 points and 8 assists, GG Jackson scored 12 points, and Jaylen Wells added 10 points on 4-for-9 shooting.
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 🡒]