Ty Jerome Torches Utah Jazz To Break Grizzlies Scoring Record

The Memphis Grizzlies hosted the Utah Jazz for their season opener in a game with many storylines, including Darryn Peterson and Cameron Boozer making their debuts and Jaren Jackson Jr. playing in Memphis; one player stole the show.

Ty Jerome stole the night with his performance that led the Grizzlies to a 123-103 victory over the Jazz.

Jerome torched the Utah defense, scoring a career-high 45 points in under 32 minutes; he also added six assists and seven rebounds. 

All night, Jerome attacked the Jazz defense with the pick-and-roll, scoring at all three levels to finish 17-for-25 from the field, 5-for-10 from the three, and 6-for-7 at the free-throw line. The guard showed no fear in the paint, scoring on floaters and runners around the free-throw line. Beyond the arc, he let the ball fly, hitting a 33-foot shot from the edge of the half-court logo in the fourth quarter.

Jerome has only scored over 30 points once in 253 career NBA games before his show-stealing performance against the Jazz. He set a Grizzlies franchise record for the highest-scoring season opener, overtaking the 44 that Ja Morant scored in the 2020-21 season opener. Only Morant and Desmond Bane have ever scored more points in a Grizzlies jersey than Jerome did.

This performance could be the spark Jerome needs after spending most of last season sidelined with injuries. Jerome has been a journeyman guard, playing for five teams after he was drafted 24th overall in the 2019 NBA Draft. Last season, his first in Memphis, Jerome played 15 games with only 339 minutes due to a right calf strain.

Jerome cemented himself in the league in the 2024-25 season with the Cleveland Cavaliers, who won 64 games. Playing in 70 games and logging nearly 1,400 minutes, Jerome was a key bench player.

The breakout season earned Jerome third in Sixth Man of the Year voting, and a three-year, $28 million contract with the Grizzlies. After returning from injury, Jerome showed he wasn’t done, averaging 19.7 points, 5.7 assists, and 2.8 rebounds in 22.7 minutes per game.