Grizzlies' Ty Jerome Gives Humble Reaction to First Major NBA Honor

The NBA named Ty Jerome the Western Conference Player of the Week on Monday afternoon, about five hours before the Memphis Grizzlies tipped off against the Utah Jazz at Delta Center.

That night, Jerome scored 15 points and had 8 assists in a 110-105 win. Memphis is 4-0.

The award is the first of Jerome's career, according to the Grizzlies. It covered games from Oct. 20-25, when he averaged an NBA-best 34.7 points and 6.0 assists while shooting 56.3% from the field and 42.9% from 3-point range.

He opened the season with a career-high 45 points against Utah on Oct. 21. Two days later, he scored 28 at Golden State, and he added 31 at Sacramento on Sunday.

The 45 points broke Ja Morant's franchise record for a season opener. Morant scored 44 in the 2020 opener.

Jerome scored at least 20 points in the second half of all three games, the Grizzlies said. The team also said he is one of four players in NBA history to reach 100 points in fewer than 100 minutes over his team's first three games while leading it to a 3-0 record.

Lakers guards Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves, Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards, Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and Rockets guard-forward Amen Thompson were the other Western Conference nominees. Philadelphia's Tyrese Maxey won the Eastern Conference award.

Three of the four wins have come on the road. Jerome said the Grizzlies have kept their poise in loud arenas.

"It was cool," Jerome said in a postgame interview with Grind City Media, the Grizzlies' in-house outlet. "Honestly, I didn't think too much of it. If the team don't go 3-0, you don't get that. So I'm just happy we started off 4-0, honestly, more than anything."

Last season, Jerome averaged 19.7 points and 5.7 assists in 22.6 minutes per game.

Jerome missed his first three shots Monday. He was 1-of-10 from the field before a driving layup with 5:16 left in the fourth quarter.

From there, he made 3 of 5. His 16-foot floater with 2:44 left put Memphis ahead 104-101, and a 16-foot pull-up off a Zach Edey pass at 2:15 made it 106-101.

Utah got within 106-105 when Mo Bamba dunked with 1:01 left. Jerome had missed a 26-foot step-back 3 on the previous Memphis possession.

After Jaylen Wells made two free throws, Josh Green fouled Jerome with 11.6 seconds left. Jerome made both for the final margin.

Jerome finished 4-of-15 from the field and said everyone down the line stepped up for Memphis.

"They were a little more aggressive in the coverages, a little more denying," Jerome explained. "If I'm stepping [into] the shots that I work on and I know I can make, I'm going to keep stepping [into] those all night. And towards the end, finally drop. A few finally drop."

Six of his 8 assists set up 3-pointers. Jerami Grant got two of them, and Scotty Pippen Jr., Cameron Boozer, Wells, and Cedric Coward got one each.

His other two assists went to a Pippen layup in the second quarter and a Quinten Post alley-oop with 13.8 seconds left in the third.

After the opener, Jerome pointed to a defensive mistake Utah made during his 45-point night.

He has 119 points through four games.

The Grizzlies traded Morant to Portland in the offseason. Memphis closes the road trip Thursday in Portland. Tip-off is 9 p.m. CT.