October 22, 2026 at 5:58 AM UTC

Postgame Report

Grizzlies open with a 123-103 rout of Jazz

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Memphis turned opening night into a 20-point win over Utah, in a game that was as much about who has left as who is left.

Memphis began its season the way it wanted to, beating Utah 123-103 on Wednesday night, Oct. 21, at home. It was game one of 82 for both teams, and one side looked a good deal more settled than the other. The margin was 20 points, and the outcome was not in much doubt for the closing stretch.

The roster turnover made the night awkward in places. Ja Morant, Desmond Bane and Jaren Jackson Jr. all play elsewhere now, and Jackson came back to Memphis in a Jazz uniform to face the team that traded him. It is an odd feeling to walk into a building that built its identity around three players and find none of them on the home bench. Memphis has plainly moved on, and the scoreboard backed that up.

What Memphis has instead is a young core, and the opener doubled as a showcase for it. Several highly touted rookies made their official NBA debuts, and the home team looked comfortable letting them play through the early nerves. Nothing about the result suggests the Grizzlies are done developing, but nights like this tend to settle a young group quickly.

Veteran guard Ty Jerome was slated to run the offense, which gave the younger players a steady hand to play off. The win also bent a long-running trend a little. Memphis came in 44-69 all-time in the regular season against Utah, including 18-39 on the road for the Grizzlies in the series, and last year's meetings were split. One opening night does not change that ledger much, but Memphis can start its own version of the story at 1-0.

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