Ty Jerome scores career-high 45 as Grizzlies beat Jazz 123-103 in opener
Jerome set a Memphis season-opener scoring record, and an 18-4 run after halftime put the Grizzlies firmly ahead of Utah.
Ty Jerome scored a career-high 45 points on Wednesday night in Memphis, leading the Grizzlies to a 123-103 win over the Utah Jazz in both teams’ 2026-27 NBA season opener. His total set a Memphis record for points in an opener, surpassing Ja Morant’s 44 in 2020.
Jerome made 17 of 25 shots, including five of 10 from three-point range. The Score 1260 reported that he also had seven rebounds and six assists and received a standing ovation when he left in the closing minute.
How Memphis pulled away from Utah
The Grizzlies led 64-51 at halftime, with Jerome scoring 19 points before the break, according to The Score 1260. Memphis then opened the third quarter on an 18-4 run to stretch its lead to 82-55. Its advantage reached 27 points, and Utah stayed at least 15 behind throughout the fourth quarter.
Jerami Grant scored 15 points for Memphis, while Jaylen Wells and GG Jackson added 12 apiece. The Score 1260 reported that the Grizzlies outrebounded Utah 55-38. Grant joined Memphis in the offseason trade that sent Morant to Portland, leaving Jerome in the starting point guard role.
Keyonte George led the Jazz with 22 points, and Lauri Markkanen scored 18. Jaren Jackson Jr. scored 15 before fouling out in the fourth quarter on his return to the Memphis court. Jackson played eight seasons for the Grizzlies before his February trade to Utah.
How the rookies fared in the season opener
The game also brought together two high draft picks: Utah’s Darryn Peterson, selected second overall out of Kansas, and Memphis’s Cameron Boozer, selected immediately after him out of Duke. Peterson scored nine points. Boozer had seven points, a game-high 11 rebounds and five assists, but shot two of 15 from the field and missed all six of his three-point attempts.
Utah played without Jusuf Nurkic, who had a plantar plate tear and was expected to be out for two more weeks, The Score 1260 reported. The Jazz are scheduled to host New Orleans on Friday, while the Grizzlies are due to play at Golden State that day.
Read in depth: Sports
Utah suspends defensive tackle Jamal Wallace indefinitely after intimate-image arrest
The university says it suspended Wallace on October 11, the day he was arrested. Separate sexual-assault allegations remain uncharged and are disputed.
Indiana prepares for Michigan after 22-game winning streak ends
No. 6 Indiana faces its first attempt to rebound from a loss in nearly two years after Ohio State ended its 22-game run. Curt Cignetti says the Hoosiers must recover from a...
Sources and context
- Ty Jerome' s career-high 45 points leads Grizzlies to a 123-103 victory over JazzAssociated Press, republished by Yahoo Sports
- Ty Jerome puts up career-best 45 points as Grizzlies stomp JazzThe Score 1260
AI-assisted article checked against the listed sources. NewsJaws did not conduct interviews or attend the reported events.