Ty Jerome scored a career-high 45 points on 17-of-25 shooting, including 5 of 10 from three, and the Memphis Grizzlies beat the Utah Jazz 123-103 on Wednesday night in the season opener for both teams.

The 45 points were the most by a Memphis player in a season opener, according to ESPN's recap, which puts the previous mark at 44 by Ja Morant, a mark he passed by one point. The record covers openers only, not all games. Jerome also had six assists, a team high, and one turnover in 32 minutes, and he made 6 of 7 free throws.

How the game turned

The Grizzlies led 64-51 at halftime and opened the third quarter with an 18-4 run that pushed the lead to 82-55. Memphis led by as many as 27 points, and Utah trailed by at least 15 throughout the fourth quarter, per the recap. The quarter scores were 31-29 Utah, then 35-20 and 34-28 Memphis. Memphis led for 79 percent of the game, and Utah's largest lead was nine points. Utah led for 18 percent of the night.

The first half had been closer than the final score suggests. Memphis led by as many as 15 before the break, and the 18-4 run at the start of the third turned a 13-point halftime edge into a rout. Memphis won the fourth quarter 25-24 and finished with a 20-point margin.

Memphis shot 47 percent as a team, making 44 of 93 field goals, and went 13-of-34 from three. The Grizzlies also won the rebound battle 55-38 and committed 15 turnovers to Utah's 18. Memphis made 22 of 28 free throws.

The shooting line breaks down cleanly: five 3-pointers, twelve two-point baskets and six free throws add up to 45. Memphis took 93 shots to Utah's 76, a 17-attempt gap that reflects both the Grizzlies' rebounding edge and the pace of the game. Utah shot 46 percent overall and 33 percent from three, and it made 22 of 33 free throws, 67 percent from the line.

The rookie subplot

Utah selected Darryn Peterson of Kansas with the No. 2 pick right before Memphis took Cam Boozer of Duke, and both made their professional debuts. Peterson scored nine points. Boozer finished with 11 rebounds, seven points and five assists, but he shot 2-of-15 from the field and 0-for-6 from three.

That back-to-back draft order is the reason the two debuts are being compared. The recap calls them two of the top rookies in the current class, and the first meeting put them on the same floor in the same game. The sample is one night for each player.

That shooting line is the part of Boozer's night that will draw attention. His 11 rebounds were a game high, with 10 on the defensive end. For a rookie in his first game, the rebounding and passing numbers carry more signal than the shooting percentage alone, and the recap does not report his minutes, so the box score cannot explain how much of the game he played.

The supporting cast

Jerami Grant, acquired in an offseason trade with Portland that sent Morant to the Trail Blazers, scored 15. Jaylen Wells and GG Jackson added 12 each for Memphis. Keyonte George led Utah with 22 points on 7-of-12 shooting with five assists and two turnovers in 29 minutes, Lauri Markkanen scored 18 and grabbed a team-high nine rebounds, and Jaren Jackson Jr. scored 15 in his return to FedExForum after eight seasons with the Grizzlies. Jackson fouled out in the fourth quarter, and Jaxson Hayes had a career-high six blocks for Utah.

Jackson's return is its own storyline: Utah acquired him at last February's trade deadline, and this was his first game back in Memphis. The crowd reaction is not in the recap, so the article cannot describe it.

What the game did not settle

One game cannot turn Jerome into an All-Star or settle his role for the season. The recap gives his minutes and shooting line, not his usage rate or how Memphis will divide ball handling once the schedule tightens. It also does not say whether Boozer's 2-of-15 night reflects a larger role or a single rough debut. For fantasy managers, the 32 minutes matter as much as the 45 points, and a repeat depends on both.

For the Grizzlies, the useful takeaway is that Jerome can carry a game when the shot is falling and that Memphis won the interior numbers while doing it. For Utah, the useful takeaway is that the rookie forwards were asked to do real work immediately, and the shooting result was mixed.

What to watch

The Grizzlies are 1-0 and the Jazz 0-1 after the opener. Memphis plays at Golden State on Friday. The Jazz host New Orleans the same night. Memphis and Utah are scheduled to meet again later in the season, which will give a second sample of how the rookie matchups and Jerome's role develop.

The more useful question is what Memphis does with Jerome's role if the shooting cools. The recap cannot answer that, and Friday's game will not fully answer it either. It is the next place to look, and the first chance to see whether the pattern repeats.