Jaylen Wells and Zach Edey lead the Memphis Grizzlies' comeback against the Bulls

The Memphis Grizzlies trailed by as many as 21 points against the Chicago Bulls on Saturday night before taking an early lead in the fourth quarter. From that moment on, the teams battled back and forth at the United Center until the very end.

A 3-pointer from Talen Horton-Tucker in the final minute gave the Bulls a one-point lead. That shot was immediately followed by a three-pointer from Grizzlies forward Maozinha Pereira in the clutch corner that gave Memphis a two-point lead with 35.3 seconds left.

With the game tied, Grizzlies rookie Jaylen Wells shot a contested three-pointer from the right wing with 9.5 seconds left and held his pose as he gave Memphis a three-point lead. That was the difference in the Grizzlies' 124-121 victory.

Wells led the Grizzlies with 24 points and played a team-high 32 minutes. Fellow rookie Zach Edey finished the game with 15 points, eight rebounds and three blocks in 22 minutes.

Memphis played Saturday's game without Ja Morant, Desmond Bane and Jaren Jackson Jr. Key players Luke Kennard and Santi Aldama were also among the Grizzlies players taking a break.

The Grizzlies will be back in action on Monday night in a road game against the Indiana Pacers.

Fourth quarter

Close game in Chicago

Grizzlies rookie Zach Edey appears to be done tonight, but backup center Jay Huff is having a big game. He still has 18 points to go with four made 3-pointers. Chicago leads 108-106 with 5:15 left in the fourth quarter.

End of the period: Bulls 93 Grizzlies 91

Zach Edey gets it going

Grizzlies center Zach Edey got off to a good start in the third quarter after making a hook shot over Bulls center Nikola Vucevic. Edey still has 13 points to go with four rebounds and three assists. Memphis trails 77-58 with 8:46 left in the third quarter.

Halftime: Bulls 65 Grizzlies 51

No answer for Zach LaVine

Memphis doesn't have Marcus Smart or Vince Williams Jr. guarding Bulls guard Zach LaVine, and it shows. LaVine scored 24 points and made all five of his 3-point shots. Chicago leads 63-49 with 1:07 left in the second quarter.

Fastbreak has problems

The Grizzlies did not score a basket in transition. This is surprising considering how much emphasis the team places on pace. The Grizzlies are without their top guards, but Chicago was the team that dominated the transition. The Bulls hold a 12-0 lead in transition with 4:21 remaining in the second quarter. Memphis Trails 54-40.

End of first round: Grizzlies 28 Bulls 28

New starting lineup

Zach Edey is the only starter from the first two preseason games who will be active on Saturday. Desmond Bane joins projected starters Ja Morant, Marcus Smart and Jaren Jackson Jr. who will face Chicago. In addition to Edey, point guard Scotty Pippen Jr., Jaylen Wells, John Konchar and Jake LaRavia will start.

Memphis Grizzlies vs. Chicago Bulls

Date: Saturday, October 12th
Time: 7pm CT
Location: United Center

What channel is the Grizzlies vs. Bulls game on today?

TV channels: CHSN
Streaming: Fubo.tv, NBA League Pass
Radio: 92.9FM

Grizzlies vs. Bulls betting odds

Thursday's BetMGM lines and odds:

Spread: Bulls -2.5
Over/under: 224.5
Money line: Bulls -140

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Grizzlies vs. Bulls injury updates

Grizzlies: Ja Morant (ankle), Jaren Jackson Jr. (hamstring), Cam Spencer (ankle), GG Jackson (foot surgery), Vince Williams Jr. (left shin)

Damichael Cole is the Memphis Grizzlies beat writer for The Commercial Appeal. Contact Damichael at [email protected]. Follow Damichael on X, formerly known as Twitter, @DamichaelC.