Ty Jerome delivered a game-high 28 points and the Memphis Grizzlies orchestrated a decisive 17-0 fourth-quarter surge to rally for a 111-108 victory over the Golden State Warriors in San Francisco on Friday night.
Rookie Cameron Boozer turned in a stellar performance for Memphis with 25 points, 13 rebounds, and six assists, helping the Grizzlies secure their second consecutive victory to open the season. Jaylen Wells contributed 17 points, while Cam Spencer added 11 as Memphis outscored Golden State 27-18 in the final period.
The contest featured intense swings in momentum from the opening tip. Brandin Podziemski set an aggressive early tone for the Warriors, sinking all four of his first-quarter field-goal attempts, including a buzzer-beating runner that helped stake Golden State to a 34-33 advantage heading into the second quarter.
Memphis responded forcefully in the second period, stringing together a 16-2 run that culminated in a 3-pointer by Spencer with 4:42 remaining in the half, giving the visitors a 54-41 lead. Golden State answered immediately with a 10-0 run punctuated by Gui Santos’ free throws, narrowing the gap to a single point. Jerami Grant then converted a three-point play in the closing moments of the half to send the Grizzlies into the locker room with a 60-56 lead.
After trailing by four at intermission, the Warriors claimed their first lead of the third quarter when Podziemski drained a 3-pointer with 2:09 remaining, pushing the score to 86-84. Golden State capped the period on an 11-0 run, carrying a 90-84 advantage into the fourth quarter.
The Warriors appeared to take control down the stretch. Spencer hit a triple to cut the deficit to three points with 6:54 left, but back-to-back 3-pointers from De’Anthony Melton and rookie Yaxel Lendeborg, followed by a driving layup from Podziemski, extended Golden State’s lead to 103-92. Melton drilled another triple with 3:47 to go, stretching the advantage to 12 points and putting the hosts firmly in command.
That commanding cushion vanished during the game-defining 17-0 Memphis run. Boozer sparked and sustained the comeback, culminating in a turnaround jumper that put the visitors ahead 108-106 with just 20.1 seconds remaining on the clock.
Golden State’s unraveling continued when Draymond Green was whistled for an offensive foul with 12.8 seconds left and subsequently assessed a technical foul. Jerome sank the ensuing technical free throw and followed with a layup, extending the Memphis lead to 111-106.
Lendeborg gathered an offensive rebound off a missed shot by Melton and was fouled with half a second remaining, converting both free-throw attempts to narrow the margin to three points. The Grizzlies successfully ran out the clock on the final inbound possession to seal the comeback.
Stephen Curry led the Warriors with 24 points, while Podziemski and rookie Lendeborg each contributed 18 points. Playing in just his second career game, Lendeborg also recorded 13 rebounds and six assists. Graham Ike and Melton added 10 points apiece for Golden State, which dropped its first two games of a season for the first time since the 2020-21 campaign.
