LAS VEGAS — Memphis Grizzlies coach Tuomas Iisalo wasn’t happy after he felt the Boston Celtics played harder than his team on July 11. So for the Grizzlies’ second summer league game, that couldn’t happen again.
The players accepted Iisalo’s challenge against the Portland Trail Blazers and responded emphatically. Memphis outhustled the Blazers and earned a 96-86 win inside the Thomas and Mack Center on July 12.
In a matchup that featured a lot of talent, the battle of the bigs was one to watch. Grizzlies big man Armando Bacot matched up against Chinese sensation and 2025 first-round pick Yang Hansen.
Bacot finished with a double-double, securing 12 rebounds to go with 14 points. Yang ended the game with 10 points and five rebounds.
Here are three takeaways from the Grizzlies win.
More Grizzlies absences vs Blazers
The 2025 summer league Grizzlies have had a tough time with injuries. Memphis hasn’t had a game where its full roster has been available, and that continued on July 12.
GG Jackson was out due to an illness, a Grizzlies spokesperson told The Commercial Appeal. Zyon Pullin, Javon Small and Cedric Coward were also among the Grizzlies players unavailable against the Blazers.
Memphis did get Jahmai Mashack back after missing action on July 11. Mashack ended the game with four points, five rebounds and four assists.
Cam Spencer, Jaylen Wells stats
The Grizzlies still had two players capable of scoring in bunches. Cam Spencer got an extender opportunity as a ball handler and playmaker with the growing list of guard absences. He finished with 17 points on 6-for-15 shooting.
Wells struggled offensively for most of the night until the fourth quarter. The lack of a true point guard hurts Wells, since he doesn’t create most of his own offense, but he found a way as the game progressed. He finished with 23 points on 7-for-16 shooting.
Ty Jerome, Ja Morant make appearances
More notable Grizzlies players showed up to take in summer league action. Ja Morant and Ty Jerome made their first appearances at a Grizzlies summer league game. Scotty Pippen Jr., Zach Edey, John Konchar and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope have also been in attendance.
Morant and Jerome’s appearances are notable. Jerome is the Grizzlies’ lone free agent signing to date, and Morant is one of the team’s leaders.
The star Grizzlies point guard noted that his main reason for attending summer league was being visible for his teammates as a leader.
What’s next
Memphis will have two days off before its next game on July 15. The Grizzlies will be back in action against the Golden State Warriors (9:30 p.m., NBA TV).
Damichael Cole is the Memphis Grizzlies beat writer for The Commercial Appeal. Contact Damichael at damichael.cole@commercialappeal.com. Follow Damichael on X, formerly known as Twitter, @DamichaelC.
This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Memphis Grizzlies summer league highlights, takeaways vs Blazers