A 25-year-old who was driving for DoorDash a year ago hit the game-winner
In the desert heat of Las Vegas, a summer exhibition between the Boston Celtics and Milwaukee Bucks became something more than its modest billing — a stage where forgotten men and unfinished prospects made their cases to belong. Matt Ryan, who was delivering food for a living just one year ago, buried a game-winning shot with one second left, while 19-year-old Juhann Begarin offered a glimpse of what raw, electric potential looks like before it has learned to govern itself. These are the moments summer leagues exist to produce: not championships, but revelations.
- A former DoorDash driver turned the final second of a summer game into a career-defining moment, draining a contested runner to lift Boston over Milwaukee 111-109.
- Juhann Begarin's two thunderous fourth-quarter dunks electrified the building, but seven turnovers and five fouls exposed just how much work remains for the 19-year-old Frenchman.
- Sam Hauser, already under contract, shot 2-of-13 from three across two games — making Ryan's 6-of-11 performance from deep an uncomfortable roster conversation the Celtics can no longer avoid.
- Mfiondu Kabengele quietly posted 15 points, 11 rebounds, four assists, and two blocks, positioning himself as a potential internal answer to Boston's long-standing backup big man problem.
- Grant Williams, fresh off a 21-point Game 7 against these same Bucks, spent the night jawing with Bobby Portis and Pat Connaughton from the sideline — a reminder that some rivalries simply change venues, not temperature.
On a Monday night in July, the Cox Pavilion in Las Vegas hosted what should have been a forgettable summer exhibition. Instead, the Celtics' 111-109 victory over the Bucks became a showcase of unlikely stories — none more striking than Matt Ryan's. A year removed from driving for DoorDash, the 25-year-old forward scored 23 points in under 25 minutes, shooting 6-of-11 from three-point range across two efficient games. With one second left, he converted a difficult runner in traffic to seal the win — the kind of shot that makes scouts reconsider a roster.
The contrast with Sam Hauser, already holding a three-year Boston contract, was difficult to ignore. Hauser had made just two of thirteen threes across two Summer League outings, while Ryan's consistency from deep raised the question of whether a two-way deal might be worth pursuing.
Juhann Begarin offered a different kind of argument — one written in athleticism rather than efficiency. The 19-year-old from France threw down two dunks in the fourth quarter, including a thunderous finish over Sandro Mamukelashvili, and added three steals to his 13-point line. But seven turnovers and five fouls told the other side of his story: a prospect of genuine upside who remains very much unfinished, and one the Celtics may look to develop in Maine where they can watch him more closely.
In the frontcourt, Mfiondu Kabengele made a quiet, thorough case for himself. The 6-foot-10 Florida State product recorded 15 points, 11 rebounds — seven offensive — four assists, two blocks, and a three-pointer, suggesting the kind of versatility Boston has been searching for in a backup big. At 24, his window is narrower than younger prospects, but his performance placed him firmly in the conversation.
Beyond the box scores, the game carried an undercurrent of familiar tension. Grant Williams, watching from the sideline, spent the night trading words with Bobby Portis and Pat Connaughton — the same players he had just helped eliminate in a seven-game playoff series weeks earlier. His Game 7 had sent Boston to the Finals. Now, in the low-stakes theater of summer ball, he celebrated with the ease of someone who had already won what mattered. Connaughton joked that Williams had bribed the officials after a scoring correction halted play. It was a reminder that some rivalries do not observe the offseason.
The Cox Pavilion in Las Vegas hosted an unlikely theater of consequence on a Monday night in July, where the Boston Celtics and Milwaukee Bucks—teams that had just finished a bruising seven-game playoff series weeks earlier—turned a meaningless summer exhibition into something worth watching. The Celtics won 111-109, and the margin of victory came from an improbable source: a 25-year-old forward named Matt Ryan, who was driving for DoorDash a year ago, launching a runner with one second remaining on the clock.
Ryan's performance was the kind that changes a roster conversation. In less than 25 minutes, he scored 23 points on efficient shooting—7 of 12 overall, 6 of 11 from three-point range. This was his second consecutive strong outing; he had already hit four threes in the Celtics' first Summer League game against Miami. The contrast was stark: Sam Hauser, who signed a three-year deal with Boston, had made just two of thirteen three-pointers across two games. Ryan's shooting display suggested the Celtics might want to keep him around on a two-way contract, even if his path to the active roster was blocked. The game-winner itself was the kind of shot that lives in highlight reels—a difficult runner in traffic, nothing but net, the kind of moment that makes scouts lean forward in their chairs.
But Ryan's heroics were not the only story. Juhann Begarin, a 19-year-old from France, announced himself with a pair of dunks in the fourth quarter that left no doubt about his physical gifts. The first came on a breakaway. The second was a thunderous finish over Milwaukee's Sandro Mamukelashvili. Begarin finished with 13 points and three steals, evidence of a player whose upside extended beyond scoring. Yet the tape also showed his rawness: he shot 1 of 4 from three, committed seven turnovers—a team high—and fouled out with five infractions. He is a prospect, not a finished product, and the Celtics will need to decide whether to develop him stateside, possibly in Maine, where they could monitor his growth more closely.
On the frontcourt, Mfiondu Kabengele made a case for himself as an internal solution to a problem the Celtics have been trying to solve. The 6-foot-10 Florida State product posted a double-double with 15 points and 11 rebounds, seven of them on the offensive glass. He added four assists and two blocks, and he made a three-pointer, suggesting a versatility that the team values. At 24 years old, Kabengele has less runway than younger prospects to develop, but his all-around performance suggested he belonged in the conversation for backup big man minutes.
The game itself carried an undercurrent of theater that transcended the Summer League format. Grant Williams, sitting on the Boston sideline, spent much of the night jawing with Milwaukee's Bobby Portis and Pat Connaughton—the same players he had just finished battling in a grueling playoff series. The two teams knew each other intimately. Williams had scored 21 points in Game 7 of that Eastern Conference semifinal matchup, the performance that sent Boston to the Finals. Now, in the low-stakes environment of summer ball, he flexed and celebrated with the kind of ease that comes from having already won the argument that mattered. Connaughton even joked that Williams had bribed the officials after the refs stopped play to correct a scoring error. It was the kind of sideline theater that reminded everyone in the building that these were NBA players, not just prospects, and that some rivalries do not turn off simply because the calendar has changed.
Notable Quotes
Grant Williams jawed with Bobby Portis and Pat Connaughton throughout the game, even as Connaughton jokingly accused Williams of bribing officials— Game observation
The Hearth Conversation Another angle on the story
Why does a Summer League game between two teams that just finished a playoff series matter at all?
Because it's one of the few places where you see players in their truest form—no stakes, no pressure, just basketball. And because it tells you things about roster construction that regular season games sometimes hide. Ryan's shooting, Begarin's athleticism, Kabengele's all-around game—these are the kinds of performances that change how a front office thinks about depth.
Matt Ryan was driving for DoorDash a year ago. How does someone go from that to hitting a game-winner in an NBA Summer League game?
Opportunity and preparation. He played at three different colleges, which suggests he was always chasing something. The Celtics gave him a shot, and he was ready. That's the whole point of Summer League—it's a proving ground for guys who don't have guaranteed spots.
Begarin had seven turnovers and five fouls but also three steals and two monster dunks. How do you evaluate that?
You see the ceiling and the floor at the same time. The athleticism is undeniable. The turnovers and fouls are about decision-making and discipline, things that improve with experience and coaching. At 19, he's allowed to be raw. The question is whether the Celtics think he can be coached into consistency.
Why does it matter that Grant Williams was on the sideline talking trash to Portis and Connaughton?
Because it shows these are real relationships forged in real competition. They just finished a seven-game war. The fact that they can laugh about it in Summer League means something—it means the rivalry is genuine, not manufactured. And Williams has earned the right to celebrate; his Game 7 performance sent Boston forward.
What's the real takeaway from this game for the Celtics organization?
That depth matters, and that you can find it in unexpected places. Ryan might not make the roster, but he's shown enough that they should keep him close. Begarin is a long-term project worth investing in. Kabengele might be the answer to a question they've been asking all season. Summer League isn't about winning games; it's about finding players.