Grizzlies Beat the Trail Blazers 124-103 to Stay Perfect at 5-0: Rookie Cameron Boozer's First Triple-Double, and Ja Morant Leaves His First Game Against Memphis With a Hamstring Injury
Memphis and Houston are the NBA's last two unbeaten teams. The Grizzlies got there Thursday in Portland behind a rookie's 18-12-12 — on a night when the Blazers' new star, facing his old team for the first time, did not finish the game.
The Memphis Grizzlies beat the Portland Trail Blazers 124-103 on Thursday night at the Moda Center to improve to 5-0, handing Portland its first loss of the season. Rookie Cameron Boozer recorded the first triple-double of his career — 18 points, 12 rebounds and 12 assists — and reserve Isaiah Stewart also scored 18, the Associated Press reported. Cedric Coward added 17 points and Zach Edey 13 for Memphis.
The game was tied 58-58 at halftime before Memphis took it away in the second half, winning the third quarter 33-25 and the fourth 33-20. Deni Avdija led Portland with 24 points, nine rebounds and seven assists in the loss, which dropped the Blazers to 3-1.
The night's other storyline wore a Portland uniform. Ja Morant, traded by Memphis to Portland in June after seven seasons with the Grizzlies, faced his former team for the first time and scored 14 points with three assists in 23 minutes before leaving in the fourth quarter with a left hamstring injury. He did not return, and Portland gave no further update during the game.
The result leaves exactly two unbeaten teams in the league: Memphis, and the Houston Rockets — the Texas half of that race, 5-0 themselves after Wednesday's rout in Milwaukee and headed to Dallas on Friday for NBA Cup play. The Grizzlies' 5-0 start is one win short of the franchise-best 6-0 start from 2014, and Memphis can match it Saturday at home against Sacramento.
