Memphis Builds A Double-Digit Halftime Lead Before Surviving Chicago’s Third-Quarter Rally, With Ty Jerome And GG Jackson Contributing Key Offense And Rookie Caleb Wilson Leading The Bulls With 21 Points.
The Memphis Grizzlies Defeated The Chicago Bulls 104-100 At United Center On Friday, October 9, 2026, Securing A Competitive Preseason Victory After Building An Early Advantage And Withstanding A Late Challenge. Memphis Scored 30 Points In Each Of The First Two Quarters, Taking A 60-50 Lead Into Halftime. Chicago Scored 27 Points In The Opening Period And 23 In The Second, Struggling To Match The Grizzlies’ Offensive Production During The First 24 Minutes. The Early Difference Proved Important As Memphis Entered The Second Half With Enough Separation To Absorb Chicago’s Improved Performance Without Losing Control Of The Game.
The Grizzlies’ Opening-Half Production Gave Them A Foundation To Work From As Both Teams Continued Evaluating Their Rotations And Young Players Ahead Of The Regular Season. Memphis Did Not Maintain The Same Scoring Pace After The Break, But Its First-Half Advantage Remained Crucial To The Final Outcome. Chicago Responded With Its Best Offensive Quarter In The Third, Scoring 32 Points To Memphis’ 25 And Cutting The Deficit To 85-82. That Three-Point Margin Set Up A Competitive Fourth Quarter, In Which Memphis Scored 19 Points And Chicago Added 18. The Grizzlies Ultimately Preserved Their Lead To Finish Four Points Ahead, Demonstrating The Value Of Their Early Scoring And Their Ability To Respond When The Bulls Made The Contest Closer.
Ty Jerome And GG Jackson Help Memphis Maintain Its Offensive Production
Ty Jerome Led Memphis With 16 Points, Adding Four Assists And One Rebound. His Scoring Provided An Important Contribution As The Grizzlies Worked To Protect Their Lead Against Chicago’s Second-Half Pressure. Jerome Shot Five Of Eight From The Field, Including Four Of Six From Three-Point Range, Giving Memphis An Efficient Perimeter Scoring Option. His Four Assists Also Helped The Grizzlies Generate Opportunities For Teammates Rather Than Relying Entirely On Individual Attempts. In A Preseason Contest That Became Increasingly Competitive After Halftime, That Combination Of Shooting And Playmaking Helped Memphis Maintain Its Offensive Balance.
GG Jackson Added 14 Points And Four Rebounds, Giving The Grizzlies Another Productive Scorer. Zach Edey Contributed 10 Points And Five Rebounds, Providing Additional Production Around The Basket. Rookie Cameron Boozer Also Finished With 10 Points, Four Rebounds And Three Assists In Just 12 Minutes. Boozer Made Three Of His Five Field-Goal Attempts And Converted All Four Of His Free Throws, Delivering An Efficient Performance During His Limited Playing Time. His Contribution Was Particularly Encouraging In A Game That Offered Both Teams An Opportunity To Evaluate Their New Talent Against NBA Competition. Memphis Benefited From These Multiple Scoring Options, Allowing The Team To Finish With 104 Points Even As Chicago Increased Its Defensive Pressure. The Grizzlies’ Performance Was Not Without Challenges, But Their Scoring Distribution Helped Them Retain The Advantage When The Game Tightened.
Caleb Wilson Leads Chicago’s Rally With 21 Points
Caleb Wilson Led The Chicago Bulls With 21 Points And Four Rebounds, Producing The Game’s Highest Individual Scoring Total. The Rookie Had A Difficult First Half, Shooting Three Of 10 From The Field As Chicago Tried To Keep Pace With Memphis. However, His Performance Improved Significantly After The Break, When He Found His Shooting Rhythm And Became Chicago’s Most Important Offensive Contributor. Wilson Scored 12 Points In The Third Quarter, Connecting From Beyond The Arc And Helping The Bulls Outscore Memphis 32-25. His Improved Shooting Gave Chicago A Much-Needed Spark After Trailing By 10 Points At Halftime, Turning What Had Been A Relatively Comfortable Grizzlies Lead Into A Close Contest Entering The Final Period.
Wilson Finished Seven Of 17 From The Field And Five Of 11 From Three-Point Range, Recording 21 Points, Four Rebounds, And Zero Assists. His Perimeter Shooting Helped Chicago Reduce The Deficit And Put Pressure On Memphis In The Closing Stages. Wilson Also Made A Three-Pointer In The Final Minute That Brought The Bulls Within Two Points Of Tying The Game, Giving Chicago A Genuine Opportunity To Complete The Comeback. However, The Bulls Could Not Find Enough Additional Scoring To Move Ahead. Wilson’s Performance Offered An Encouraging Sign Of His Scoring Potential And His Ability To Respond After A Difficult Start. Although Chicago Ultimately Lost 104-100, His Second-Half Production Was One Of The Game’s Most Significant Individual Stories.
Chicago Wins The Third Quarter But Cannot Complete The Comeback
Chicago’s Third-Quarter Surge Was The Turning Point That Made The Finish Competitive. After Scoring Just 23 Points In The Second Period, The Bulls Produced 32 In The Third, Reducing Memphis’ Lead From Ten Points To Three. Wilson’s Improved Shooting Helped Drive That Offensive Response, While Chicago Found More Ways To Apply Pressure And Create Opportunities. The Bulls’ Rally Demonstrated Their Ability To Adjust After A Difficult First Half, And Their Improved Scoring Kept The Grizzlies From Entering The Fourth Quarter With A Comfortable Cushion. Rather Than Allowing Memphis To Control The Entire Game, Chicago Forced The Visitors To Execute Under Greater Pressure During The Final 12 Minutes.
Despite That Momentum Shift, Memphis Did Enough In The Fourth Quarter To Secure The Victory. The Grizzlies Scored 19 Points And Limited Chicago To 18, Preserving The Three-Point Advantage They Held At The End Of The Third. Wilson’s Late Three-Pointer Brought The Bulls Within Two Points, But Chicago Could Not Complete The Remaining Steps Needed To Overtake Memphis. The Final Four-Point Margin Reflected How Close The Game Became After The Grizzlies’ Strong First Half. For Chicago, The Late Push Was A Positive Sign, But The Team Will Need To Convert More Of Those Opportunities Into Points When Games Are Decided By A Few Possessions. Memphis, Meanwhile, Can Take Confidence From Protecting Its Advantage Despite Losing The Third Quarter. The Finish Underlined The Importance Of Sustained Execution, Particularly When An Opponent Finds Its Rhythm Late In A Contest.
Grizzlies Secure The Win As Both Teams Gain Preseason Lessons
Memphis’ 104-100 Victory Was Built On Its 60-Point First Half And Its Ability To Prevent Chicago From Completing A Comeback. Jerome Led The Grizzlies With 16 Points, Jackson Added 14, And Edey And Boozer Each Contributed 10. Those Performances Gave Memphis Multiple Sources Of Offense In A Game That Required More Than A Strong Start. The Grizzlies Were Outscored 32-25 In The Third Quarter, But They Responded By Holding Chicago To 18 Points In The Fourth. That Closing Effort Preserved Their Lead And Delivered The Preseason Result. Although Exhibition Games Do Not Determine Regular-Season Success, The Contest Offered Memphis Useful Minutes To Evaluate Its Rotation, Assess Young Players, And Practice Maintaining Composure When An Opponent Applies Late Pressure.
Chicago Also Had Reasons To Take Positives From The Performance Despite Falling Short. Wilson’s 21 Points And Five Three-Pointers Provided A Clear Offensive Highlight, While The Team’s Third-Quarter Production Demonstrated Its Ability To Challenge Memphis After A Difficult Opening Half. The Bulls’ Challenge Will Be Carrying That Offensive Urgency Into The Earlier Stages Of Future Games And Executing More Consistently In The Closing Minutes. Memphis Can Focus On Sustaining Its Strong Starts While Reducing The Momentum Swings That Allowed Chicago Back Into The Contest. Ultimately, The Grizzlies Earned The Win By Building A Ten-Point Halftime Lead And Holding On Through A Competitive Fourth Quarter. The Bulls Made The Finish Interesting, But Memphis’ Early Advantage And Late-Game Execution Made The Difference In A 104-100 Preseason Result At United Center.
