Kenneth Lofton Jr. helps Memphis Grizzlies defeat Chicago Bulls to start Las Vegas summer league
The Memphis Grizzlies defeated the Chicago Bulls 87-80 on Saturday night in their first summer league game in Las Vegas.
Kenneth Lofton Jr. led the Grizzlies with 23 points and four rebounds. He shot 8-for-14 from the field.
Jacob Gilyard of Memphis controlled the pace with eight assists, and Jake LaRavia added 15 points.
Here are four observations from the game.
Kenneth Lofton Jr. continues to grow
Kenneth Lofton Jr., the G League Rookie of the Year in 2022-23, continues to showcase his skill-set throughout the summer league games for the Grizzlies.
The 6-foot-6 center has gained confidence in his 3-point shooting and demonstrated his soft touch around the basket and foot work.
Lofton is best from distance as the trailing big man in transition. In the summer league games in Utah, he averaged 16.5 points and shot 40% from 3-point range. Lofton nailed two 3-pointers on Saturday.
Grizzlies bring their hot shooting to Vegas
Outside the Thomas and Mack Center, the temperature was more than 100 degrees. It seems like the heat carried into the arena thanks to the Grizzlies hot 3-point shooting.
In the first quarter, the Grizzlies set the tone — shooting 5-for-9 from 3-point range.
The Grizzlies had set a Utah summer league record with 17 3-pointers.
They ended Saturday’s game making 13 3-pointers.
The importance of veterans, even in summer league
With the summer league showcase mostly highlighting the rookies and second-year players, at times the play on the court might resemble a glorified pickup game.
But, there will be times where seasoned veterans will make the summer league roster, and their impact on the game should not be overstated.
One of the veterans for the Grizzlies is Frankie Ferrari. Ferrari, the 6-1 guard from University of San Francisco, carries experience from overseas and is well familiar with the rims at the Thomas and Mack Center.
Ferrari previously played for the Golden State Warriors and Sacramento Kings among others, but is helping the Grizzlies summer league team with his calm veteran presence.
In addition, the second year players for the Grizzlies — Lofton, Vince Williams Jr., David Roddy and Jake LaRavia — are all familiar with each other, having spent time in the G League and the Grizzlies.
More: Why second-year Summer League Grizzlies are key to improving Memphis in one key area
Up next
The Grizzlies will play every other day in Las Vegas.
The next game is against the Cleveland Cavaliers at 3 p.m. CT on ESPNews. The Grizzlies will face former Memphis Tigers freshman standout Emoni Bates.
Reach sports writer Jerry Jiang at JJiang@gannett.com or on Twitter @j_jiang30
This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Memphis Grizzlies top Chicago Bulls to start Las Vegas summer league
