Walter Clayton Jr. accomplished 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 began the 2025–26 season with the Utah Jazz before they traded him and several players to Memphis in a player-stacked deal.
The move gave Clayton a chance to take on a larger role, earning more starts as Memphis' season ended. Clayton has progressed as a two-way guard, showcasing his skills 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 charts in that statistic.
Walter Clayton Jr. in tonight's Grizzlies win over the Pacers:
🔹 7 points
🔹 15 assists
🔹4 theftHe now has the most assists in a game by a rookie in Grizzlies history! pic.twitter.com/zY6edF7s9w
- ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) 2 March 2026
Walter Clayton Jr., how the Grizzlies played against the Pacers
Walter Clayton Jr. was active in the drama production department with his 14 recipes. As a result, he helped the Grizzlies defeat the Pacers in a strong road win.
Seven players scored in double figures for Memphis in the win. Taylor Hendricks impressed with a stat line of 19 points, five rebounds and one assist. Jaylen Wells was next with 18 points and three rebounds, Olivier-Maxence Prosper had 17 points and three assists, while Scottie Pippen Jr. had 16 points and five assists. Ryan Rupert, meanwhile, provided 16 points and six rebounds.
Memphis improved to a 23–36 record on the season and 11th in the Western Conference standings. They are above the Dallas Mavericks and New Orleans Pelicans. However, they are behind the Los Angeles Clippers and Portland Trail Blazers.
The Grizzlies will remain on the road and await their next matchup. They will face the Minnesota Timberwolves as tip-off takes place on March 3 at 8 PM ET.
