Walter Clayton Jr. achieved an impressive rookie feat with his performance in the Memphis Grizzlies' 125-106 win over the Indiana Pacers on Sunday night.
Clayton is going through the rookie campaign of his NBA career, having enjoyed an incredible collegiate career that includes a national championship with the Florida Gators. He started the 2025-26 season with the Utah Jazz before they traded him and multiple players to Memphis in a player-stacked deal.
The move gave Clayton a chance to garner a bigger role, earning more starts as Memphis' season winds down. Clayton has made strides as a two-way guard, showing off his skillset against Indiana. In 34 minutes of action, he finished with a stat line of seven points, 14 assists, four steals, three rebounds, and one block.
This performance allowed him to make franchise history with the Grizzlies. He recorded the most assists in any game as a rookie, putting himself at the mountaintop of Memphis' rookie chart in that statistic.
Walter Clayton Jr tonight in the Grizzlies’ win over the Pacers:
🔹 7 points
🔹 15 assists
🔹 4 stealsHe now has the most assists in a game by a rookie in Grizzlies history! pic.twitter.com/zY6edF7s9w
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) March 2, 2026
How Walter Clayton Jr., Grizzlies played against Pacers
Walter Clayton Jr. was active in the playmaking department with his 14 dishes. As a result, he helped the Grizzlies blow out the Pacers in the solid road win.
Seven players scored in double-digits for Memphis in the win. Taylor Hendricks impressed with a stat line of 19 points, five rebounds and one assist. Jaylen Wells came next with 18 points and three rebounds, Olivier-Maxence Prosper had 17 points and three assists, while Scotty Pippen Jr. put up 16 points and five assists. Meanwhile, Rayan Rupert provided 16 points and six rebounds.
Memphis improved to a 23-36 record on the season, holding the 11th spot in the Western Conference standings. They are above the Dallas Mavericks and the New Orleans Pelicans. However, they trail the Los Angeles Clippers and the Portland Trail Blazers.
The Grizzlies will look forward to their next matchup, remaining on the road. They face the Minnesota Timberwolves as tip-off will take place on March 3 at 8 p.m. ET.
