The Memphis Grizzlies closed out a sweep of their four-game road trip with a 124-103 victory against Ja Morant and the Portland Trail Blazers to stay undefeated.
It was their first time facing off against their former star point guard, and this Grizzlies team delivered and then some.
In a game that national NBA media gave a lot of narrative significance to, the Grizzlies sent a clear message to the league: The post-Ja Morant era is coming along nicely.
The Grizzlies really went into the Blazers’ house and terrorized them for 48 minutes. The kids, as they say, are alright.
If ever there was a statement win, this was it.
No shade to Morant, but the Grizzlies delivering such a solid defeat in this game was like a healing balm for fans who have suffered through the calamitous past few seasons, watching the GrzNxtGen era crash and burn. (It’s me, I’m fans.)
After a competitive first half that ended in a 58-58 tie, the Grizzlies took control in the second half, outscoring Portland 66-45 over the final two quarters.
Memphis’ big men got into foul trouble early, with Zach Edey and Isaiah Stewart each racking up three fouls in the first half, leaving them to rely on backup center Quinten Post. Or they could try to rely on Post, but he exited the game in the second quarter and was ruled out for the rest of the game.
Edey also received a technical foul for an exchange with Portland center Donovan Clingan. Clingan earned his own tech a few plays later. Both players looked ready to square off at multiple points throughout the game, and I suspect this is not the last we will see of the rivalry between them.
By the Numbers:
The Grizzlies put together a balanced offensive effort and superior defense — it was truly a team win. Eight players ended the night in double figures, including all five starters. Their depth came in clutch, with the bench scoring 56 of their 124 points.
Memphis bested Portland in pretty much every statistical category, but just as important is what they did not do: give up double figures off turnovers.
The Grizzlies gave up nine points off their 11 turnovers, and picked up 23 points off the Blazers 16 turnovers.
They held all-star guard Damian Lillard to just nine points. Lillard, who has averaged 21.4 points against the Grizzlies throughout his career, finished in single digits against Memphis for the first time ever.
Morant added 14 points for Portland before exiting the game in the fourth quarter with a pulled hamstring. Friday, it was announced that Morant will miss at least four weeks with a Grade 2 left hamstring strain.
Rookie standout Cam Boozer put together his first career triple-double, making him the youngest frontcourt player in league history to do it. He finished the night with 18 points, 12 rebounds, and 12 assists, and shot a game-high 4 of 5 from beyond the arc.
Cedric Coward added 17 points, 6 rebounds, and three steals. Zach Edey closed out with 13 points and 7 rebounds, including his first three-pointer of the season.
Jaylen Wells and Ty Jerome each finished the night with 10 points.
Stewart had his best game in a Grizzlies uniform, leading the second unit with 18 points on 7 of 10 overall shooting.
GG Jackson scored 12 points and 7 rebounds, while Post added 10 points in his brief appearance.
Who Got Next?
The Grizzlies kick off a four-game homestand on Halloween against the Sacramento Kings. Tip-off is at 7 PM CDT.
