Five teams have started the Western Conference season undefeated across their first three games. Four of them looked destined for the upper echelon: the Thunder, Rockets, Lakers, and Timberwolves. The fifth, on the other hand, was one that only a few trusted. The Memphis Grizzlies, carried on the shoulders of a remarkable Ty Jerome, have yet to taste defeat this season.
The Tennessee squad sealed its third victory in the early hours by storming the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento 112-123, thanks to 31 points from the guard, the centerpiece of the 0-11 run that broke the game open in the final quarter. Because, while the final margin was in double digits, the duel remained tied late, and once there the Grizzlies’ blow came with no reply.
And yet, up to that point, the Kings had had an answer for everything. Down for much of the second half and trailing by as many as 14 points, Douh Christie’s squad managed to level the game thanks to Zach LaVine and Darius Acuff, who once again confirmed themselves as a rather entertaining pair with 37 and 22 points respectively. But they were also a highly volatile duo who, when it mattered, had little to say.
On Par with Morant
Not so with Jerome, who, first with a three and then with a 2+1, delivered two consecutive blows and effectively sealed the outcome. And in doing so, he extended a start that places him in a nearly exclusive place in the franchise’s history, as these plays allowed him to reach 100 points in the first three games of the regular season, something that until now only Ja Morant had managed to do, achieving it on two occasions.
TY JEROME IS OFF TO A HOT START 🔥
Wednesday: 45 PTS
Friday: 28 PTS
Tonight: 31 PTSHe joins Ja Morant (2x) as the only other player in Grizzlies franchise history to score 100+ PTS through the first three games of the season! https://t.co/F1LkzDjM7Q
— NBA (@NBA) October 26, 2026
The former Cavaliers player, though, was not alone, as he had as many as five teammates who also reached double figures, all in very different fashion. From the inefficient (6/21) yet workmanlike (11 rebounds) Cameron Boozer to Cedric Coward and Cam Spencer each sinking three triples, and the efficiency of Jaylen Welles, Memphis once again demonstrated that it is a squad with more resources and options than had been recognized during the preseason.
And while it’s reasonable to assume that once the schedule tightens the win rate may dip, for now they can brag about being well above what was expected.
