He looked composed. Nineteen points in the first half alone.
In the desert heat of Las Vegas, a 19-year-old second-round pick named JD Davison offered the Boston Celtics a glimpse of something rare — a raw talent beginning to understand his own potential. On Thursday, the Celtics defeated the Memphis Grizzlies 108-91 in Summer League play, a result that speaks less to standings than to the quiet, incremental work of building a professional basketball player from the ground up.
- JD Davison erupted for 28 points and 10 assists — more than he had scored across his first three Summer League games combined — surpassing even his college career high in a single night.
- The Celtics shot 50% from the field as a team, overwhelming a Grizzlies squad that couldn't match Boston's depth despite 21 points from Ziaire Williams.
- Juhann Begarin, after a shaky tournament opener, has emerged as Boston's most explosive Summer League presence, adding 19 points and three steals against Memphis.
- Assistant coach Damon Stoudamire praised Davison's instincts while noting his jump shot still needs refinement — the honest arithmetic of developing a two-way contract player.
- At 3-1, the Celtics now stand on the edge of a direct path to the July 17 championship game, with their young core arriving at precisely the right moment.
The Boston Celtics' Summer League squad rolled through Memphis on Thursday, winning 108-91 in Las Vegas to push their record to 3-1 and keep their championship aspirations very much alive.
The night belonged to JD Davison. The 19-year-old guard, drafted by Boston just days earlier in the second round, delivered the most complete game of his young career — 28 points, 10 assists, five rebounds, three steals, and a block, all while shooting nine of 14 from the field and four of six from three. Nineteen of those points came before halftime. The total surpassed his college career high, a symbolic threshold for a player still calibrating himself to the speed and demands of professional basketball. Assistant coach Damon Stoudamire offered measured optimism, acknowledging Davison's natural feel for the game while noting his jump shot remains a work in progress — the kind of honest assessment that frames a promising trajectory without overpromising.
Boston's depth made the victory feel inevitable. Juhann Begarin, the French forward who stumbled in the Summer League opener, has since become the team's most consistent presence, adding 19 points and three steals against Memphis. Justin Jackson contributed 16 points and helped establish Boston's early rhythm, even as his three-point shooting faltered. Memphis leaned on Ziaire Williams' 21 points, but it wasn't enough against a Celtics squad firing at 50% from the field.
With the two best-record teams advancing directly to the July 17 championship game, Boston's path to the final is now clearly within reach — and Davison's emergence suggests the team's young core may be ready to make something of it.
The Boston Celtics' Summer League roster rolled into Thursday's matchup against Memphis with momentum on their side, and by the time the final buzzer sounded, they had extended their winning streak to three straight games. The scoreboard read 108-91 in Boston's favor, a convincing victory that kept their championship hopes alive in Las Vegas.
JD Davison was the story of the night. The 19-year-old guard, selected by the Celtics in the second round of the 2022 draft just days earlier, put together the most complete performance of his young professional career. He finished with 28 points—more than he had scored in his entire first three Summer League appearances combined—along with 10 assists, five rebounds, three steals, and a block that drew gasps from the crowd. His shooting was sharp: nine of 14 from the field, four of six from three-point range. Nineteen of those points came in the first half alone, a display of offensive confidence that suggested the Alabama product was beginning to find his footing at the professional level. The 28-point total surpassed his career high in college, a milestone that carried symbolic weight for a player still learning the pace and demands of the NBA game.
Damon Stoudamire, the Celtics' assistant coach, offered measured praise during the broadcast. Davison possessed good instincts and a feel for the game, Stoudamire said, though like any young player he would need to continue refining his jump shot. The coach expressed genuine optimism about watching Davison develop over time. For a raw prospect who had just signed a two-way contract with the organization earlier in the week, the trajectory was already pointing upward.
Beyond Davison, the Celtics got balanced contributions that reflected their depth. Juhann Begarin, the 19-year-old French forward and second-round pick from the previous year's draft, added 19 points on solid nine-of-18 shooting and showed his athleticism on both ends of the floor with three steals. He had struggled in the Summer League opener but had since become the team's most consistent and explosive player, with strong performances against Milwaukee and Golden State preceding Thursday's outing. His four turnovers suggested areas still needing work, but the overall arc of his development was encouraging. Justin Jackson, the former North Carolina standout, chipped in 16 points and five assists, though his shooting efficiency dipped to six of 15 from the field. He struggled particularly from three-point range, connecting on just two of ten attempts, but his eight first-quarter points helped establish Boston's early rhythm.
The Celtics' collective shooting—50 percent from the field as a team—overwhelmed a Memphis squad that leaned heavily on 2021 first-rounder Ziaire Williams, who scored 21 points in a losing effort. Undrafted guard Kenneth Lofton Jr. contributed 16 points for the Grizzlies, but it proved insufficient against Boston's balanced attack.
With the victory, the Celtics improved to 3-1 in Summer League play, positioning themselves among the tournament's elite teams. The format rewards the strongest performers: the two teams with the best records after the initial four games will advance directly to the championship game scheduled for July 17, while the remaining 28 teams will compete in a fifth game over the weekend. Boston's path to the final is now within reach, and if Davison's performance on Thursday is any indication, the team's young core may be ready to make a run.
Citas Notables
He has a great feel for the game, he has a nice pace. Like any young player, he has to work on his jump shot, but I really look forward to seeing his growth.— Celtics assistant coach Damon Stoudamire on JD Davison
La Conversación del Hearth Otra perspectiva de la historia
What made Davison's 28 points different from what we've seen from him before?
It wasn't just the volume. He was efficient—nine of 14 shooting, four of six from three. But more than that, he looked composed. Nineteen points in the first half alone. He wasn't forcing anything.
His college scoring record was 20 points. That's a pretty low ceiling to break through.
Right, but context matters. He's 19 years old, playing against NBA-level competition for the first time. The fact that he's already surpassing what he did in college, and doing it with 10 assists—that's not just scoring, that's running the offense.
Stoudamire mentioned his jump shot still needs work. How much of a concern is that?
It's a development thing, not a red flag. He made four threes on Thursday. The assistant coach is being honest about the long arc—he's a raw prospect. But raw doesn't mean broken.
The Celtics shot 50 percent as a team. Is that sustainable?
In Summer League? Maybe. These are young players still learning each other. But the real story is the balance. Begarin had 19, Jackson had 16. They're not dependent on any one player.
What does a three-and-one record actually mean for their championship chances?
It puts them in position to skip the fifth game entirely and go straight to the final on the 17th. But only if they stay in the top two. Summer League is short—one bad game and the math changes.