Boston led from start to finish with Jordan Walsh pacing the team with 17 points.
The Boston Celtics squared off against the Memphis Grizzlies in game one of the 2025 Las Vegas Summer League. Cox Pavilion was full for the early 4pm Friday tip-off as the Celtics prevailed 92-78, in an entertaining first Summer League outing.
Celtics fans had their first look at first-round Spanish prospect Hugo Gonzalez as he started alongside Max Shulga, Amari Williams, Jordan Walsh, and Baylor Scheierman.
Gonzalez was the C’s first scorer as he lunged into the lane to tip-in a Scheierman miss for his first points as a Celtic. Baylor Scheierman scored on his second shot attempt with a tough contested floater off the backboard.
Jordan Walsh threw down a loud tomahawk dunk early in the quarter with the score tied at 8 apiece.
Memphis was getting into the lane with ease, with all 8 early points scored in the painted area. Grizzlies third-year forward GG Jackson was the team’s leading scorer in the Salt Lake City Summer League last week, and he was on the scoreboard early.
Rookie Amari Williams blew his first open look of the game at the basket as he was whistled for a traveling violation.
Walsh nailed a deep triple with a player draped all over him as Boston took an early 11-10 lead. Summer League head coach Matt Reynolds went to Kenneth Loften Jr., Miles Norris, and Charles Bassey as the first three players off the C’s bench.
In typical Summer League fashion, things got very ugly to end the first quarter with both teams struggling to convert any shot attempts. Charles Bassey was everywhere on D for Boston, blocking a couple of early shots.
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Hugo Gonzalez returned for Boston and immediately pushed the pace for a driving layup attempt. However, the Spanish product is still a work in progress, as he went 1-5 from the free throw line to start the game. Two-way signing Miles Norris nailed his first three-pointer of the game and then got fouled shooting another triple to convert on 2 of 3 free throws.
Amari Williams flashed signs of his passing abilities with a deft cross-court pass to Norris, who hit on his deep two-pointer. Norris would lead the Celtics in scoring after one quarter, with 8 points. Boston led the game 22-18 after one quarter.
2025 second-round pick Max Shulga showed off his creative playmaking abilities to start the second quarter as he found Kendall Brown for consecutive made baskets.
Hugo Gonzalez finally found the net from deep as he converted on his first triple and his sixth point of the game. Amari Williams then got out in transition with a one-two pass to Shulga for the easy one-handed jam; Celtics up 31-22.
Walsh continued his solid play as he drove to the hole for a strong contested dunk. The third-year player showed signs of making the right reads in the first half. Gonzalez found Walsh wide open as he hit on his eleventh point of the game.
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Jordan Walsh then returned the favor as he pushed the pace to find Hugo for his second three-pointer of the game. The Celtics were rolling, up 15 points, 47-32.
Memphis was without Zach Edey, who was sidelined in a boot, and talented lottery pick Cedric Coward was also ruled out, as he rehabs from shoulder surgery. The Grizzlies’ full-court pressure started to trouble the Boston players as they forced multiple turnovers to end the half.
Boston took a 49-36 lead into the halftime break in what felt like a frenetically paced game. Walsh led the C’s with 12 points, Gonzalez had 9 points, and Miles Norris had 8 points.
Matt Reynolds rolled out the same starting five to begin the second half, and Amari Williams scored the C’s first points with two made free throws. Baylor Scheierman finally hit on his fifth three-point attempt, with a quick shot coming around a screen at the top of the key.
Memphis continued the full-court pressure to start the second half, and they came back into the game. Amari Williams’ hook shot halted the Memphis momentum, and Max Shulga’s three-pointer gave Boston a narrow lead of 60-53.
Isaiah Wong snuck into the lane and hit a pretty floating jumper, his first points of the night. Charles Bassey was extremely active for Boston off the bench on both ends of the court. Scheierman found the rolling big for the loud alley-oop jam.
Gonzalez drove and dished with a nice assist to Bassey for his sixth point of the night. Lofton Jr. also provided some good minutes to end the third quarter. Boston retained a seven-point lead, up 68-61.
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With 8 minutes to go in the game, things got ugly for the Celtics. A wild errant pass from Mile Norris was Boston’s 13th turnover of the night. Norris then fouled Cam Spencer on a three-point attempt, as Boston’s lead whittled down to just five points.
Scheierman then airballed his eighth three-point attempt as Boston started to unravel. Estrada hit back-to-back buckets as Memphis had all the momentum.
Enter, Charles Bassey, who was outhustling all the Memphis big men whenever he was on the court. He generated plenty of second chance points for the Summer Celtics, as he racked up six quick points in the fourth quarter. Jordan Walsh was yet again left wide open from distance, as Scheierman found the third year wing for his fifteenth point of the game.
Walsh would end the game with 17 points, rookie Hugo Gonzalez had 12 points and Bassey chipped in 14 points. Boston will next face the Knicks on Sunday at 5:30 pm.