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Grizzly Grades: Memphis Survive in Sacramento to Open 3-0

The Kings tied it with six minutes left, but Memphis found a way to ace the test.
Sam Trigg|
Oct 25, 2026; Sacramento, California, USA; Memphis Grizzlies forward-center Isaiah Stewart (28) gestures after defeating the Sacramento Kings at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Lee-Imagn Images
Oct 25, 2026; Sacramento, California, USA; Memphis Grizzlies forward-center Isaiah Stewart (28) gestures after defeating the Sacramento Kings at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Lee-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

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Memphis Grizzlies


Memphis beat Sacramento 123-112 on Sunday to open the season 3-0 for the first time since 2017-18, just the third time it's happened in franchise history.

They did it without Zach Edey, who sat out to manage his ankle on the first night of a back-to-back.

Sacramento got 37 from Zach LaVine, and the Kings even tied the game with under six minutes left, but Memphis showed, again, that it doesn't quit.

From Jerome and his big night to the back of the bench, here's where every Grizzly landed against Sacramento.


1. Ty Jerome: A+


Jerome did not start off hot, as he missed his first five threes before burying the one that mattered, a step-back from the left wing that snapped a 106-106 tie and put Memphis back in control with under five minutes left.

He finished with 31 points, a perfect 14-for-14 from the line, six assists and a steal off LaVine that sealed it.

He now has double figures in all 18 games he's played for Memphis, a streak that trails only O.J. Mayo's 25.

That outburst earned him Western Conference Player of the Week honors as he has averaged 34.7 points, 4.3 rebounds and six assists through the first three games.

2. Cedric Coward: A


After missing the game at Golden State with a wrist injury, Coward looked nothing like a man shaking off rust.

He drained his first three of the night from the left wing and found the same spot again a few minutes later, finishing three for five from behind the arc.

Coward's hustle was impossible to miss, chasing every loose ball and crashing the boards all night.

He finished with a double-double, 15 points and 11 rebounds, not a bad day back at the office.

3. Jaylen Wells: A


Wells was the most efficient scorer on the roster, going 6-for-7 from the field and 2-for-2 from three for 16 points, and his plus-24 was second on the team, only to Jerome's plus-27.

He's proven through three games that he can be a three-point threat while guarding the other team's best player every night. Can he keep it up?


4. Isaiah Stewart: B+


Stewart's second game as a Grizzly looked much better than his debut, which was plagued by foul trouble.

His defense was on full display: he blocked a fast break at the rim on Lavine in the second quarter and got Domantas Sabonis at the rim in the third.

He even rattled in a few top-of-the-key threes that bounced around four or five times before falling.

His biggest moment came late on offense, drawing a foul and converting the and-one that started Memphis' decisive 11-0 run right after Sacramento had tied it.

He finished with a season-high 13 points, five rebounds and two blocks in 22 minutes.

Stewart will need to get the fouls under control to stay on the floor if he wants to continue to make an impact.

He picked up five on Sunday to go with the four he had against Golden State.



5. Cameron Boozer: B


Boozer's double-double, 16 points and 11 rebounds, came with some fight attached.

Precious Achiuwa gave him trouble all night, stripping him twice and backing him down for a bucket of his own.

Boozer shot a rough 6-for-21 from the field, but he made a few plays that mattered, throwing down a slam off a Jerome drop-off and another off a Wells feed that put Memphis up nine late in the fourth.

The rookie has continued to show he's a favorite of head coach Tuomas Iisalo, averaging 34 minutes a game, four more than would have led last year's team.


6. Cam Spencer: B-


Spencer gave Memphis jolt it needed off the bench, scoring 10 of his 13 points in the first half and hitting a three that snapped a Kings run in the third quarter.

The second half wasn't as kind, a missed logo three and a drive that got stripped and turned into points the other way.

His minus-16 was the worst mark on the team, but if Spencer can keep providing a spark off the bench when called upon, he'll keep seeing the floor.

If the shot stops falling, that's a different story. He's shown some defensive lapses too.


7. Jerami Grant: C+


Grant's box score won't jump off the page, but his defense did.

He finished with three stocks: a swat on LaVine's three-point try to end the first quarter and another block on Achiuwa's layup attempt in the second.

He finished with five points, five rebounds and three assists on 2-for-8 shooting in 22 minutes.

8. Scotty Pippen Jr.: C

Pippen Jr. had moments on both sides of the court.

He finished a wide-open transition layup off a Jerome feed and hit a three off a Wells steal in the first half, but then threw a no-look pass directly into LaVine's hands for a Monk dunk in the fourth and blew two close finishes at the rim.

His potential has flashed this season. So has his inconsistency.


9. Quinten Post: C-


Post had his share of rough patches, and he was not the first big man off the bench this outing.

Taylor Hendricks took his usual sub spot in the middle of the first quarter instead.

When Post did get in, he gave up an offensive rebound that led to a bucket and lost a board off a missed free throw that should have been an easy possession.

But his offensive touch showed up late, grabbing two offensive rebounds and tipping them back in for points.

Post isn't out there to be a rim protector, but he'll need to produce consistently on offense if he wants the rotation to stop shuffling under him.

10. GG Jackson: C-

Jackson's handle through the first three games has not been what it was in the preseason.

He lost control of the ball on more than one drive, got called for a double dribble in the second quarter and had the ball stripped on a put-back attempt.

His best sequence came on a coast-to-coast spin to the rim that drew a foul, though he made just one of the two free throws that followed.


11. Taylor Hendricks: D+


Hendricks played his first minutes of the season and didn't make much of an impression.

He came in for Post off the bench in the first quarter and missed both of his three-point attempts.

His defense wasn't much better either, as he posted the second-worst plus-minus on the team at -15.

Expect him to get more run when opposing teams roll out a more agile backup big, but the shot needs to start falling for the minutes to stick.

The Grizzlies take on Utah tonight in a rematch in Salt Lake City, after beating the Jazz at FedExForum on October 21, 123-103: Let's see who studied.

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Sam Trigg
SAM TRIGG

Sam Trigg is a Memphis native and sports journalist who recently graduated from the University of Memphis with a degree in journalism and communications. In addition to covering University of Memphis athletics for On3, he worked for the Memphis Hound Dogs during the team’s inaugural season while also covering the team for The Daily Helmsman.

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