Cameron Boozer needed 28 minutes for his first career triple-double. The Memphis Grizzlies rookie had 18 points, 12 rebounds and 12 assists on Thursday night, shot 6 of 10 (4 of 5 from three) and finished plus-20, and the passing was what Portland could not handle.
The Grizzlies won 124-103 at the Moda Center to move to 5-0. The Trail Blazers (3-1) lost for the first time.
32 Assists on 47 Baskets
Memphis assisted on 32 of its 47 field goals, made 18 of 42 threes and went 12 for 12 at the line, per the ESPN box score. The bench carried the middle of the game: Cam Spencer had eight points and eight assists in 23 minutes and was plus-21, and Isaiah Stewart scored 18 on 7 of 10 shooting in 16 minutes. Cedric Coward added 17 and Zach Edey 13 on 6 of 8.
Portland Shot 12 for 49 From Three
Deni Avdija did his part with 24 points, nine rebounds and seven assists, and Donovan Clingan blocked five shots. The guards did not. Damian Lillard scored nine on 3 of 13 shooting and made 1 of 9 threes, and Ja Morant had 14 on 6 of 14. As a team Portland shot 24 percent from three and 17 of 26 at the line, and it turned 16 turnovers into 23 Memphis points.
Memphis outrebounded Portland 54-45 and outscored it 21-12 in transition.
What's Next for Memphis and Portland
Memphis hosts Sacramento on Saturday night. Portland plays at Utah on Saturday afternoon. Follow every NBA brief on our NBA page.