Memphis Grizzlies coach Tuomas Iisalo has called their start to the 2026-27 season "promising" as he tempered expectations around his team.

The Grizzlies moved to 5-0 on the season after defeating the Portland Trail Blazers 124-103 at Moda Center on Thursday.

Rookie Cameron Boozer led the way with his first triple-double, recording 18 points, 12 rebounds and 12 assists.

Isaiah Stewart (18) and Cedric Coward (17) added solid point contributions, while Cam Spencer provided eight assists off the bench.

Portland were also unbeaten (3-0) before this matchup, but saw former Grizzlies star Ja Morant exit early in the fourth quarter with a hamstring injury.

The Houston Rockets are the only other team with a 5-0 start in the NBA this season, but Iisalo knows there is still a long way to go for his side.

"The word I've used is promising," said Iisalo after the victory.

"It's only the beginning of the season. We are five games in. We all understand it, and anything can happen.

"The way the group has persevered during these games and found the word that we have used, poise, we just find an answer.

"And it has been different guys on different nights, and it's just an incredibly cool feeling as a coach to coach that type of group, those who stick together and believe 100% in what we are doing and in each other.

"So, that's why I saw promise. We know we are at the beginning of our journey together. We're building something new, and we're not in a hurry, but at the same time, these [wins] are great building blocks for us."

Cameron Boozer is the second player all-time to record a triple-double in the NBA before he ever lost a game in the NBA. The other was Oscar Robertson, who had a triple-double in a victory in his NBA debut on October 19, 1960. https://t.co/XXi83UxoUd

— OptaSTATS (@OptaSTATS) October 30, 2026

Boozer produced an efficient performance, making six of his 10 field-goal attempts, including four of his five shots from beyond the arc, and only committed two turnovers for his 12 assists.

Boozer is the second player all-time to record a triple-double in the NBA before he ever lost a game in the league. The other was Oscar Robertson, who had a triple-double in a victory in his NBA debut in October 1960.

"It's nice. I will keep going. The season's just starting. We have 77 more, so a lot more to come," said Boozer, who was drafted at the number three overall pick.

"They are a hard team to guard. Ja [Morant], Dame [Lillard], and Deni [Avdija], that's a hard trio to stay in front of.

"But at the end of the day, toughness, rebounds – we got some stops. We looked at size too. Stew [Stewart] got us going. Zach [Edey] got us going. It's a lot of fun."