Javon Small, Brendan Hausen lead Grizzlies win as Cam Boozer, Cedric Coward struggle
· Yahoo Sports
The Grizzlies beat the Warriors in an NBA Summer League game at Cox Pavilion in Las Vegas on July 14, but the path there was anything but straightforward.
Even though many teams have started to rest or completely shut down their top players, the Grizzlies started both Cam Boozer and Cedric Coward. Neither played particularly well, though.
Visit biznow.biz for more information.
Instead, it was Javon Small and Brendan Hausen who led the Grizzlies to a 106-85 win over the Yaxel Lendeborg-led Warriors.
Here are our takeaways from the game.
Javon Small, Brendan Hausen take over for Grizzlies
There was no doubt that Small and Hausen were the Grizzlies' standouts against the Warriors. Small was effective throughout, scoring 26 points and dishing out seven assists as he controlled the game as the Grizzlies' point guard. He was also 5-of-8 from beyond the arc, and the Warriors had no answers for his offensive game.
“I know I can shoot the ball," Small said on the ESPN broadcast after the game. "I just kept shooting it.”
The Grizzlies looked like they might be headed to a second straight loss in the first half before Hausen popped up and started firing away from 3-point range. He finished 6-of-8 on 3-pointers and scored 20 points in just 19 minutes.
Small was a second-round pick in 2025 and is on a two-way deal with the Grizzlies. He played sparingly during the 2025-26 season but saw his role grow as the Grizzlies dealt with an injury crisis over the back half of the season. Hausen went undrafted in 2026 out of Iowa and is one of many summer league players looking to get a professional opportunity.
Cedric Coward, Cam Boozer struggle even as Grizzlies win
Neither Coward nor Boozer were at their best on the second night of a back-to-back. Coward struggled to get into the flow of the game and shot just 2-for-7 a night after he went 7-for-23.
Boozer had zero points at halftime, but he played hard throughout and had a better second half. He finished with 12 points on 4-for-12 shooting and also had seven rebounds.
Coward was first-team All-Rookie last season and is a critical piece of the Grizzlies' future. Boozer, the No. 3 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, is the likely centerpiece of that future core. Both have played better games during this summer league, but it remains to be seen how long the Grizzlies will keep them both out there as more and more top players get shut down for the rest of the summer.
Next up
The Grizzlies have a day off before they face the Hawks on July 16 (7 p.m., Prime Video).
The top four teams in the standings after four games advance to the semifinals, and the Grizzlies look like they've at least got a shot to get there. The Hawks are 3-0, so the Grizzlies will move ahead of them if they win that game. Then it'll come down to how the rest of the league fares.
Memphis is still waiting for the summer league debut of Karim Lopez, who has been out with a mild left hamstring strain from the pre-draft process. Walter Clayton Jr. (mild right knee sprain) has also been out for all the games so far. Olivier-Maxence Prosper missed the game against the Warriors with a back injury.
Reach sports writer Jonah Dylan at [email protected] or on X @thejonahdylan.
This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Javon Small, Brendan Hausen lead Grizzlies win as Cam Boozer, Cedric Coward struggle