Cameron Boozer turned Portland’s much-anticipated home showdown into a Memphis team masterpiece. The rookie forward scored 18 points, grabbed 11 rebounds, and handed out 12 assists as the Grizzlies rolled to a 124-103 win Thursday. Memphis arrived 4-0 and trying to show its new group could keep growing fast. Portland entered 3-0, hoping its deep group of stars could protect its perfect start. Instead, Boozer directed a 32-assist attack that pushed the Grizzlies to 5-0.

The night began as a battle of big centers. Zach Edey scored Memphis’s first four points on a dunk and a tip-in, but Portland answered with quick energy. Ja Morant, facing his former team, hit two early three-pointers. Deni Avdija then found Donovan Clingan for a long three, giving Portland a 10-4 lead. Memphis kept firing back. Boozer hit a three, and Isaiah Stewart hit another from deep to put the Grizzlies ahead 15-13.

Neither team escaped in the first quarter. Portland led 24-22 late, but center Post buried a three for Memphis. Avdija made one free throw to tie it 25-25 after one quarter. The second quarter stayed just as tight. Clingan slammed two alley-oop passes, while Portland’s guards kept the ball moving. Yet Memphis received huge help from its group of reserves. Center Post scored 10 points, including two three-pointers, and Boozer kept finding open teammates. His late three gave Memphis a 56-55 lead before Avdija and Camara answered. Grant’s dunk with 18.3 seconds left made it 58-58 at halftime.

Then Memphis seized the story. Camara’s three put Portland ahead 62-60 early in the third, but the Grizzlies answered with a 15-3 surge. Coward hit a three, Wells added another, and Boozer drove for a layup. Stewart then hit a three of his own, stretching the lead to 75-69. Portland’s defense produced 11 blocks, with Clingan swatting five shots, but Memphis kept recovering missed shots and sharing the ball. A layup by forward Jackson and a close-range score from Coward made it 87-75. Edey’s layup and floating shot helped Memphis carry a 91-83 lead into the fourth.

Portland needed a fast rally, but Memphis shut the door. Edey opened the final quarter with a surprising 25-foot jumper, and guard Jerome followed with a three to make it 101-89. The Grizzlies kept pouring it on: Stewart dunked, guard Spencer hit a three, and Coward drilled another long shot. Memphis scored 33 points in both the third and fourth quarters, turning a tied halftime game into a 21-point victory.

Avdija fought hard with 24 points, nine rebounds, and seven assists, while Morant scored 14. But Portland made 12 of 49 shots from three-point range and committed 16 turnovers. Memphis won the rebound battle 54-45 and made all 12 free throws. The Grizzlies now carry an unbeaten 5-0 start into their next game against Sacramento. Portland, 3-1, heads to Utah with a clear lesson: against a passing team as sharp as Memphis, every possession matters.

Cameron Boozer Conducts Memphis Past Portland