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It’s not exactly an NBA Finals showdown, but a Western Conference and Eastern Conference team will be squaring off for a trophy on Monday.
The Memphis Grizzlies and Miami Heat each clinched a spot in Monday’s Las Vegas Summer League championship game with impressive showings in Sunday’s semifinals.
Memphis escaped with a one-point victory over the Los Angeles Clippers thanks to Kobe Brown’s missed free throw in the final second that could have forced overtime, while Miami survived 31 points and 11 rebounds from Kevin Knox II and defeated the Golden State Warriors by three points.
The end result is a matchup between the Heat and Grizzlies with Summer League bragging rights on the line.
Here is a look at the schedule information for the title game.
2024 Las Vegas Summer League Championship Game
Matchup: Memphis Grizzlies vs. Miami Heat
Location: Thomas & Mack Center
Memphis figured to be one of the teams to watch in the Summer League in large part because of big man Zach Edey, who was a two-time Player of the Year at Purdue and the No. 9 overall pick of the 2024 NBA draft.
However, the Grizzlies shut him down following an ankle injury, which takes some of the intrigue away from the upcoming title game.
Fortunately for fans, another player to watch has emerged.
Scotty Pippen Jr., who is the son of Hall of Famer and Chicago Bulls legend Scottie Pippen, put the Grizzlies on his back during Sunday’s semifinal win over the Clippers. His and-1 with just more than a minute remaining capped an impressive performance and gave his team the lead for good.
He finished with a triple-double of 23 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists, while Jaylen Wells poured in 28 points on a sizzling 9-of-12 shooting from the field and 6-of-7 shooting from three-point range.
Wells’ ability to take advantage of spacing created when defenders collapsed on Pippen worked well and will be an issue for a Miami team that struggled to contain Knox on Sunday.
Yet the Grizzlies will have to deal with the overall balance of the Heat.
Five different Miami players scored at least 14 points in Sunday’s win over the Warriors, including Josh Christopher. Christopher finished with 23 points and converted a massive and-1 in the final minute to put his team ahead for good just after the Warriors went on a 5-0 run to take the lead.
Like Pippen for Memphis, Christopher delivered with the game on the line for his side and will now have the opportunity to compete for a championship.
Whichever one make the key plays Monday will walk away with a trophy.
Whether Jimmy Butler’s days in Miami are numbered remains to be seen, but rumors continue to circulate about his desire to be traded. ESPN’s Shams Charania
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