Jake LaRavia scores 32, but Memphis Grizzlies fall to Heat in NBA summer league title game

Posted by Admin July 23, 2024 NBA

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The Memphis Grizzlies couldn’t quite get there.

Memphis ran through the NBA 2K25 Summer League before falling to the Miami Heat 120-118 in overtime Monday’s championship, missing out on a chance to win the organization’s second summer league title.

Josh Christopher had 24 points to pace the Heat, who won the title after an undefeated summer league. Jake LaRavia led the Grizzlies with 32 points, but it wasn’t enough. The two teams were deadlocked after 40 minutes, but the Heat won the race to seven points in the overtime period and took the summer league title.

Memphis played Monday’s title game without Zach Edey and Cam Spencer, two 2024 NBA draft picks who played well in limited summer league action. Edey only played a few minutes before suffering an injury and getting shut down.

Here are three takeaways from Monday’s season finale.

Zach Edey and Cam Spencer sat again

Edey’s performance in Memphis’ summer league opener in Salt Lake City (14 points and 15 rebounds against Utah’s Walker Kessler) immediately made him the favorite at some sportsbooks for NBA Rookie of the Year and had Grizzlies’ fans salivating over his fit next to Ja Morant. But Edey barely played after that, missing the rest of the Salt Lake City games before returning and then quickly exiting with an injury in Las Vegas.

Spencer, a second round pick out of UConn, looked good when he played during the summer. Even without Edey and Spencer, the Grizzlies still had no problems running through their summer league opposition.

Jake LaRavia returned — and finished summer league strong

LaRavia had missed three games in a row but was effective throughout the Grizzlies’ summer league run. He was a focal point of Memphis’ offense when he played during summer league and attacked from the get-go in Monday’s title game.

The summer league showing could give him confidence heading into the 2024-25 season. A former first round pick out of Wake Forest, LaRavia has had an up-and-down career with the Grizzlies.

Scotty Pippen Jr. made his case for summer league MVP

The NBA announced before the game that Brooklyn’s Jalen Wilson had been named summer league MVP. But Pippen — who earned All-summer league first team honors alongside Jackson — certainly made his case with Monday’s performance.

A day after he tallied the sixth triple-double in summer league history, Pippen stuffed the stat sheet to the tune of 29 points, 11 assists and four steals. Though Pippen is on a two-way contract, he certainly made his case throughout summer league to be the Grizzlies’ backup point guard behind Morant this season.

Reach sports writer Jonah Dylan at jonah.dylan@commercialappeal.com or on X @thejonahdylan.