Ty Jerome led the Grizzlies in scoring through their first three games, but he had plenty of help Monday night. Six Memphis players scored in double figures in a 110-105 win over the Utah Jazz at Delta Center, giving the Grizzlies a 4-0 start for just the second time in franchise history.
The Grizzlies last opened a season this well in 2014-15, when they won their first six games. Four games are a small sample, but Memphis has already banked three road victories and swept a back-to-back in Sacramento and Utah. Monday’s win offered an encouraging look at how this team can function when its leading scorer has an off night.
Cedric Coward led the way with 16 points and 11 rebounds, recording back-to-back double-doubles for the first time in his career. He made all four of his three-point attempts and added three assists. Following his 15-point, 11-rebound performance against Sacramento, Coward gave Memphis another night of efficient scoring and needed rebounding without requiring a large share of the offense.
That matters for a team still learning where its production will consistently come from. Coward can contribute without having the offense run through him, and his 10 defensive rebounds were particularly valuable against a Utah team that collected 14 offensive boards. His ability to finish defensive possessions is as important as his perfect shooting from deep.
The balance extended well beyond Coward. Jerome finished with 15 points, Jaylen Wells added 14, and Jerami Grant and Cameron Boozer each had 13. Quinten Post scored 12 off the bench. Only four points separated Memphis’ leading scorer from its sixth, allowing the Grizzlies to absorb a combined 8-for-27 shooting night from Jerome and Boozer.
Wells and Grant were a significant part of that. Wells scored his 14 points on nine shots, while Grant needed only six attempts for his 13. Together, they made five of nine three-pointers. Memphis benefited from getting that production alongside its higher-volume scorers, particularly with Jerome unable to generate the offense he had supplied through the opening three games.
The bench gave the Grizzlies more than a few minutes of relief. Post scored 12 points in 12 minutes on 5-for-6 shooting, while Cam Spencer added 8 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists without a turnover. That pairing gave Memphis shooting, passing, and efficient possessions, helping keep the offense productive beyond its starting lineup.
Spencer’s contribution deserves attention even on a night when he was outside the double-figure scoring group. His five assists helped Memphis make 26 of 37 field goals. Jerome had eight assists against one turnover, and Boozer added four assists to his seven rebounds. Both found ways to remain involved despite their shooting struggles, an important part of why those misses did not become the defining feature of the night.
Jerome eventually scored eight of his 15 points in the final six minutes, but Memphis had already gotten enough help to be in position to win. After scoring at least 28 points in each of the first three games, he did not have to match that pace to keep the Grizzlies unbeaten. His teammates handled more of the scoring, and he remained their leading playmaker.
Concerns lay beneath the balanced box score. Utah played most of the game without injured forwards Lauri Markkanen and Jaren Jackson Jr., yet Memphis could not put the Jazz away. The Grizzlies were outrebounded 49-42 and scored only two points in the paint during the fourth quarter. Mo Bamba’s rim protection contributed to those problems, and Memphis leaned heavily on its perimeter shooting to get through them.
The Grizzlies made 16 of 37 three-pointers and 20 of 22 free throws. Coward, Grant, Post, and Spencer combined for 11-for-14 from deep, an outstanding return that helped cover less efficient nights elsewhere. Memphis will need a more reliable offense around the basket when that shooting is harder to find, but Monday showed the value of having several players who can score from outside.
Memphis heads to Portland on Thursday with an unbeaten record built on more than Jerome’s scoring. Coward has delivered consecutive double-doubles, Wells and Grant have supplied efficient offense, and Post and Spencer made their minutes count in Utah. The Grizzlies still have plenty to clean up, but getting this much help across the rotation is promising for a team that opened the season with four straight wins.
