The Memphis Grizzlies improved to 5-0 on the season with a 124-103 win over the Portland Trail Blazers on Thursday at Moda Center. Cameron Boozer finished with 18 points, 12 rebounds and 12 assists for Memphis, while Deni Avdija led Portland with 24 points, nine rebounds and seven assists in the loss.
Memphis pulled away in the second half, outscoring Portland 66-45 over the final two quarters after the teams were tied 25-25 through one. The Grizzlies shot 46% from the field and knocked down 18 of 42 three-point attempts, while the Trail Blazers connected on just 12 of 49 from beyond the arc for a 24% clip that proved costly down the stretch.
Takeaways From Memphis’s Win Over Portland
Memphis took control in the paint
The Grizzlies outscored the Trail Blazers 50-48 in points in the paint but did the bulk of their damage in transition, piling up 21 fast break points to Portland’s 12. Memphis also forced 16 turnovers and converted them into 23 points, a gap that helped the Grizzlies build a 24-point lead at their largest advantage of the night.
Portland’s three-point shooting collapsed
The Trail Blazers attempted 49 threes but made only 12, a 24% mark that undercut an offense that got 24 points from Avdija and 14 from Ja Morant. Damian Lillard struggled from deep, going 1 for 9 from three-point range and finishing 3 for 13 overall for nine points.
Memphis’s bench and role players stepped up
Cedric Coward added 17 points and seven rebounds, and Zach Edey contributed 13 points on 6-of-8 shooting with seven rebounds. The Grizzlies got 100% shooting from the free-throw line, going a perfect 12 for 12, while Portland shot just 65% at the line on 17-of-26 attempts.
Player Of The Game: Cameron Boozer
Boozer finished with 18 points, 12 rebounds, 12 assists, two steals and a plus-20 rating in 28 minutes, leading Memphis in all three major statistical categories. His near triple-double anchored a Grizzlies offense that shot 46% from the field as a team.
What’s Next
Memphis improved to 5-0 and remains tied with Houston atop the Southwest Division. Portland dropped to 3-1, half a game behind Oklahoma City in the Northwest.
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