Tonight, the Oklahoma City Thunder and Memphis Grizzlies showed why the Summer League games can be just as exciting as the NBA regular season. Every single quarter was a back-and-forth battle that left fans on the edge of their seats. These rosters pulled out all the stops to try and get their team the win. Blink, and suddenly, the other team was on top. Hopefully, the rest of the Summer League can be this exciting to keep fans happy until the NBA regular season returns.
Ajay Mitchell and Ousmane Dieng Lead Charge
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This win wasn’t brought by one single player. In fact, it was a dynamic duo that ended up shining. Ajay Mitchell ended the game with 21 points, one assist, and five rebounds. In the last game, Mitchell had just eleven points but managed to get ten assists. What this shows is that the young guard is a versatile player. He can help his teammates score one game and then go off the next. The 38th overall pick is starting to really look like a great choice.
Next up is Ousmane Dieng. The forward scored 17 points and had four rebounds and eight assists in 32 minutes. One also has to highlight his four blocks. Dieng was chosen 11th in 2022 by the Oklahoma City Thunder. The French player has played on the main roster and with the Oklahoma City Blue G League team. For the Blue, he is averaging 17.2 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 5.4 assists. He’s had some time to get used to the NBA, but he hasn’t reached that level yet. Although, after this game, it’s clear he is improving.
Memphis Grizzlies Bright Future With Young Stars
The Grizzlies may have lost, but that doesn’t mean there weren’t bright spots in the game. Trey Jemison had a fantastic game with 20 points and seven rebounds. The young player went undrafted in the 2023 NBA Draft before getting picked up by the New Orleans Pelicans and, later, the Grizzlies. He would end the season with 7.4 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 1.2 assists.
The Memphis scoring would continue with power forward GG Jackson. He had an 18-point night. Jackson also had three steals, eight rebounds, and two assists. The forward has already made a splash on the main roster for the Grizzlies with his 14.6 points per game. Expect him to be a star for the team for years to come.
Lastly, Timmy Allen scored 17 points. He’s another undrafted player from 2023 who would later get grabbed by the Memphis Grizzlies. This was a solid Summer League game for him. At this time Allen has been playing with the G League team the Memphis Hustle where he averages 9.5 points per game.
Oklahoma City Thunder Go Up 2-1
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This has been one of the most exciting games in the Summer League. The lead changed an insane number of times, and there was no telling who would win until the buzzer sounded. In fact, Scotty Pippen Jr. barely missed a game-tying three-pointer as it bounced against the rim. It would have been an incredible shot to take the game into overtime.
Altogether, there were 27 lead changes in this game. Even when one team went up, it was rare for them to get more than a five-point lead. This is what basketball is all about. There was a consistent competitive energy on the court that never ceased. Honestly, this game felt more intense then a lot of the NBA regular season games that occured in the 2023-24 season. The Oklahoma City Thunder should be very happy with this win as the Salt Lake City Summer League ends.
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