Summer League takeaways: Davison puts on a show vs. Grizzlies originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
The Boston Celtics’ Summer League squad is red-hot.
They earned their third consecutive victory in Las Vegas on Thursday as they took down the Memphis Grizzlies, 108-91. JD Davison, the Celtics’ second-round pick in this year’s NBA Draft, led the way with a game-high 28 points. Juhann Begarin and Justin Jackson added 19 and 16 points respectively as Boston shot 50 percent from the field as a group.
For Memphis, it was 2021 first-rounder Ziaire Williams doing most of the damage with 21 points. Undrafted phenom Kenneth Lofton Jr. contributed 16 points in the losing effort.
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Here are our takeaways from Celtics vs. Grizzlies as Boston improves to 3-1 on the summer. The two teams with the best records from the first four games will meet in the championship on July 17. The other 28 teams will play a fifth game either Saturday or Sunday.
JD Davison is finding his groove
This was by far Davison’s best performance of the summer. The former Alabama standout stole the show with 28 points, including 19 in the first half. He scored 20 total points in three Summer League games before Thursday’s action.
With the 28-point outburst, Davison beat his highest collegiate point total (20). He also notched a double-double with 10 assists, tying his record with the Crimson Tide.
Davison shot 4-for-6 from 3-point range and was 9-of-14 from the floor. He did a little bit of everything, adding five rebounds, three steals and an emphatic block to his impressive stat line.
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Celtics assistant Damon Stoudamire spoke highly about Davison during the NBA TV broadcast.
Davison is a raw prospect, but he’s already shown plenty of growth through four Summer League games. That’s a promising sign after the 19-year-old signed a two-way contract with the organization earlier this week.
Juhann Begarin continues to impress
Since getting his bearings in the opener, Begarin has been the Celtics’ most explosive and consistent player this summer. The 19-year-old France native showed off his impressive athleticism against the Milwaukee Bucks, dropped 21 points in Tuesday’s win over Golden State, and added to his resume with another strong outing vs. Memphis.
Begarin, the C’s second-round pick in last year’s draft, tallied 19 points on 9-of-18 shooting. He also made an impact on the defensive end with three steals.
Turnovers remain an area he’ll look to improve on — he had four on Thursday — but altogether he appears to be making real progress in his development.
Justin Jackson gives an encore performance
Jackson went off for 24 points in the victory over the Warriors and nearly duplicated the performance in Thursday’s win.
The former North Carolina star notched 16 points, including eight in the first quarter, while dishing five assists. It wasn’t as efficient of a night for Jackson (6-15 FG), but he helped to set the tone for the C’s as they look to earn a spot in the 2022 Summer League Final game.
Jackson will look to find his 3-point shot the next time he takes the court. He struggled with it in this one, going 2-for-10 from beyond the arc.
