Rookie Cameron Boozer put up his first NBA triple-double Thursday night, 18 points, 12 rebounds and 12 assists in 28 minutes, as the Memphis Grizzlies beat Portland 124-103 in the unbeaten-vs-unbeaten game. Memphis is 5-0. Portland is 3-1.
How it got away from Portland
This one was tied 58-58 at halftime at the Moda Center. Then Memphis scored 33 in the third and 33 more in the fourth, and Portland managed 45 in the whole second half. Boozer was a plus-20 and shot 6 of 10, including 4 of 5 from three.
- Cameron Boozer: 18 points, 12 rebounds, 12 assists, 6-10 FG, 4-5 3PT
- Cedric Coward: 17 points, 7 rebounds
- Zach Edey: 13 points on 6-of-8 shooting, 7 rebounds
- Deni Avdija (POR): 24 points, 9 rebounds, 7 assists
My take
Here’s what should scare the rest of the West: Boozer hasn’t really started shooting yet. He’s at 32.4 percent from the field through five games, and he had a 2-of-15 night along the way. He’s still averaging 15.4 points, 10.8 rebounds and 6.2 assists. When a rookie can’t find the basket and still fills up the box score every night, that’s not a hot start. That’s a player.
And yes, I wrote Wednesday morning that Portland at 3-0 was no fluke. Memphis read it, apparently, and outscored the Blazers by 21 in the second half. I’ll stand by most of it. Portland is still good. Memphis is just better right now, and the Grizzlies are the last unbeaten team I’d want to see in March. Okay, April. Okay, whenever the play-in is.
Full box score at ESPN.
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Jeremy Durham is a sports columnist for TriStar Daily and the founder of Five and a Fade.
