Memphis Grizzlies rookie Cameron Boozer just erased his NBA debut from our memories. The son of two-time NBA All-Star Carlos Boozer delivered a career-defining performance to hand the Golden State Warriors a devastating late-game collapse at Chase Center. His heroics and the 0-2 start to their season even left Stephen Curry admitting he’s going to lose sleep tonight.
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The 19-year-old NBA scion, selected third overall out of Duke, rallied Memphis from a 12-point deficit with less than four minutes left in the game to secure a thrilling 111–108 victory. The win came off his game-winning turnaround jumper with 20.1 seconds remaining on the clock. While showing flashes that differed from the senior C-Booz’s bruising style, Cameron put up a masterful line of 25 points, 13 rebounds, six assists, two steals, shooting 6-for-13 from the floor, a scorching 4-for-7 from the arc, and a perfect 9-for-9 from the free-throw line.
The most shocking reality about Boozer’s surge was the Warriors scoring only two points through it. Following the brutal fourth-quarter meltdown, Stephen Curry did not hold back when reflecting on the team’s late-game execution.
“There’s losses, and then there’s ways that you lose like tonight that kind of sting a little bit more, so you gotta… you know… The nature of the NBA: everybody says there’s another game tomorrow, but the idea of how important every game is for us to build the right habits, the right execution, mentality to try to win,” Curry said postgame. “And the fact that you gave one away like this, it’s gonna be, you know, you might lose a little sleep over it tonight, but try to bounce back tomorrow.”
For Boozer, the clutch sequence underscored his mental resilience following a difficult shooting night in his NBA debut.
Stephen Curry’s Warriors become punchline in Cameron Boozer’s redemption
Cameron Boozer made his regular season debut against the Utah Jazz, one of the teams his dad played for in his 13-season NBA career. While the Grizzlies won 123-103, Boozer’s debut was underwhelming with only seven points. He made only 2 of his 15 shots from the field and missed all six attempts at the three-point line.
He did post a remarkable 11 rebounds and 5 assists. For head coach Tuomas Iisalo, his effort guarding Jazz’s Lauri Markkanen was the most impressive aspect. Boozer himself didn’t dwell on his individual performance.
“I always try to impact the game in other ways,” he said and showed it against Steph Curry’s Warriors tonight.
The Warriors appeared in total control late in the final period, holding a 106–94 lead with under four minutes remaining. However, the Grizzlies mounted an explosive 17–0 run to shock the home crowd.
Six of those Q4 points came from Booz Jr. Ty Jerome’s three-pointer cut the Warriors’ advantage to 106-105, who finished with 28 points and five assists. Jaylen Wells, who tied the game at the free-throw line, contributed 17 points to push Memphis to a 2–0 start. Zach Edey provided additional muscle inside, adding eight points, 10 rebounds, and two blocks while also briefly sending Brandin Podziemski to the locker room with his elbow before Podziemski returned.
It would however, be Boozer’s game-winning basket that overshadowed the Warriors’ collapse. Speaking about it postgame, the rookie explained that he took advantage of Golden State’s defensive coverage.
“When you got a guard switch on you, you want to punish it, so that was definitely my mindset when I got the ball,” Boozer said. “I think it comes down to defense. Our defense at times this game was a little shaky. We got to pick it up going into the next game. But overall I’m happy with these guys. We compete, we’re tough, that’s why we win games.”
The victory highlights a seamless transition for Boozer, who became the second-youngest player in Grizzlies franchise history to record a double-double.
Curry finished with 24 points to pace the Warriors but struggled to find his rhythm, shooting 5-for-15 overall and 3-for-10 from three-point range. The Warriors will look to correct their late-game execution as they prepare for the second half of their back-to-back against Phoenix tomorrow, while Boozer and the undefeated Grizzlies head to Sacramento to face the Kings.