The Memphis Grizzlies are still perfect at 5-0, and the mood on the bench was loose long before the final buzzer against the Portland Trail Blazers.
With Memphis leading by 23 points and just two and a half minutes left, Isaiah Stewart turned the celebration into something nobody could miss. The big man went around smacking teammates on the chest, hard.
GG Jackson flinched before letting it happen, then laughed it off. Cameron Boozer got the same treatment, with teammates chuckling in the background.
For Stewart, it was another reminder that his arrival in Memphis has brought more than just physical play. Now in his first season with the Grizzlies after being traded by the Detroit Pistons, he has a reputation for getting into altercations and drawing suspensions, but he has also been viewed as a strong locker room presence. Early on, that energy seems to be fitting right in with what Memphis has going.
He has backed that up on the court, too. Through four games, Stewart is averaging 9.8 points and 3.5 rebounds in 17.5 minutes off the bench. Against Portland, he turned in his best scoring night of the season with 18 points on 7-of-10 shooting.
The biggest performance of the night belonged to Boozer. He posted an 18-point, 12-rebound, 12-assist triple-double, becoming the second-youngest player ever to record one in the NBA, behind only Josh Giddey.
Memphis now gets a shot to keep rolling with a four-game home stand ahead, starting against the winless Sacramento Kings and the struggling New Orleans Pelicans.
In Other News...
Cam Boozer Just Put Himself In Rare Grizzlies Company
Cam Boozer keeps finding ways to make a young Grizzlies season feel even more unusual. In the win over Portland, the Memphis forward filled the box score across the board and helped push the Grizzlies to a 5-0 start, a strong opening that has come with plenty of early-season buzz around the roster.
The performance also put Boozer in rare company, since he joined a very short list of players to reach a triple-double at such an early age. For Memphis, it was another sign that the rookie is already doing things the franchise has not seen before, even as the team keeps rolling through the first stretch of the schedule. [Read more 🡒]
Grizzlies Frontcourt Depth Is Already Facing A Familiar Concern
The Grizzlies frontcourt depth is already being tested by a problem that has followed this group before. Quinten Post left Thursdays win over Portland with a right ankle injury and was ruled doubtful to return, then never made it back into the game, adding another uneasy note to a big-man rotation that has been trying to stay intact.
Isaiah Stewarts situation only adds to the concern. He missed the season opener with an ankle injury, sat out for 14 days, and has been productive since returning, but his own injury history is part of the same larger pattern. For Memphis, the issue is not just one missed game here or there, but whether the team can count on its size and physicality staying available long enough to hold up over the stretch ahead. [Read more 🡒]
Cameron Boozer Just Put Memphis In Some Rare NBA History
Cameron Boozer gave the Grizzlies a little slice of NBA history in their win over the Trail Blazers, and he did it with the kind of all-around line that turns a good night into a memorable one. In 28 minutes, the rookie filled up the box score and showed why Memphis has reason to be intrigued by how quickly his game is translating at the pro level.
At 19 years and 103 days old, Boozer moved into a rare spot in league lore, becoming the youngest forward ever to post a triple-double and the second-youngest player overall to do it. It is the sort of milestone that says plenty about his versatility, and it also leaves Memphis with a bigger question now hanging over the achievement: how often can he keep stacking nights like this? [Read more 🡒]