SALT LAKE CITY – Spurs assistant coach Will Hardy had no intention of bothering his players on Wednesday. Hardy's plan was simple: Allow guys to get treatment in the morning and enjoy the holiday without being bothered with basketball. "We've been together for seven days straight," said Hardy. "So, it was a good day for them to get away and get some rest." The Spurs rewarded their coach by closing out the Utah Summer League beating the Memphis Grizzlies, 94-87, at Vivint Smart Home Arena. Derrick White continued his solid play finishing with a team-high 26 points on 8-of-17 shooting, seven rebounds and six assists, while Chimezie Metu added nine points and nine rebounds in the win. The Spurs finish the Utah Summer League 2-1. Quick response: White got the Spurs off to a strong start, scoring 13 points in the first quarter and converting 3 of 5 3-pointers. The team took a 25-20 lead after the first 10 minutes. The Grizzlies would respond, though. Following a Cory Jefferson turnover, Kobi Simmons recorded his second steal of the first half and converted a fastbreak to help the Grizzlies start on a 12-6 run. Hardy called a timeout, and Lonnie Walker was unleashed. Walker converted his first field goal of the game – a 25-foot 3-pointer – to cut the Grizzlies lead to one. Moments later, Walker got a dunk off a White assist, and then nailed a 27-foot 3-pointer to give the Spurs a 41-38 lead at the 3:24 mark in the second quarter. Walker finished the quarter with eight points on 3-of-4 shooting, while White closed out the first half with a game-high 21 points. After the sluggish start to the second, the Spurs finished the quarter shooting 6-of-11 (3-for-4 from three), outscoring the Grizzlies 20-13 to take a 51-45 halftime lead. Walker finished with 14 points and three rebounds in his second Summer League appearance. Shooting for the stars: Led by White (5-for-8) the Spurs shot 60 percent from beyond the arc. Jeff Ledbetter scored all nine of his points on 3-pointers, while Cory Jefferson shot 2-of-3 from three, finishing with six points. Hardy credited the ball movement for the success from three. "Last game our ball movement improved but tonight we were able to drive the ball, get in the paint, kick and find some open shooters," said Hardy. "When we're able to drive north-south and get in the paint, there is a lot of open shots." The other rookie: With his father, former Spur Jaren Jackson Jr. in attendance, Jaren Jackson Jr. did not get off to the best start. He finished the first half with 6 points on 1-of-5 shooting, but did convert 3-of-4 from the free-throw line. Jackson finished the game with eight points on 1-of-7 shooting in 26 minutes. Watchful eye: Olivier Hanlan received his first taste of game action on Thursday. He checked in the game at the 4:23 mark in the first quarter and quickly found Drew Eubanks for a layup. Hanlan started the second half in place of Cory Jefferson. At the 6:43 mark of the third, he connected with Jaron Blossomgame on a give-and-go to help the Spurs open the period on a 10-2 run. Hanlan finished the game with eight points, five rebounds and four assists. Expect Hardy to give the veteran guard more opportunities as the summer progresses. Injury report: Point guard London Perrantes (concussion-like symptoms) did not play on Thursday. The Spurs are hoping he can play this weekend as play shifts to the Las Vegas. Up Next: The Spurs will open the Las Vegas Summer League on Saturday against the Indiana Pacers.<doc-sep>After not impressing in his debut and missing San Antonio’s second game of the Utah Summer League, Lonnie Walker showed off the potential that tantalized the Spurs on Thursday. His 14 points helped propel his team to a 94-87 victory over the Summer Grizzlies. PtR’s latest T-shirt features Lonnie Walker IV, and it’s as unique as he is. Walker started against the Grizzlies after sitting out Tuesday’s game for rest. He was one of the main attractions of the game and didn’t disappoint. What made Walker an intriguing prospect was his budding outside shot and his athleticism. Both were on display against the Summer Grizzlies. The 18th pick of the 2018 draft connected on two of his four three-pointers — both in the first half — and had a beautiful alley-oop dunk in the closing quarter. Walker with that steal and dunk #SummerSpurs pic.twitter.com/LDIlqrSYkc — San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) July 6, 2018 After forcing the issue in his pro debut against the Jazz, Walker seemed more comfortable this time around. It helped that he had Derrick White flanking him. The sophomore combo guard kept the Spurs in control all throughout the game. White had 26 points, seven rebounds and six assists and made five of his eight three-pointers. The young backcourt was too much for an undisciplined Grizzlies squad that collapsed in the second half by fouling constantly. The Spurs finished their participation on the Utah Summer League with a 2-1 record. White was their best player by far, averaging 23 points, over six rebounds and seven assists. Now Las Vegas awaits. Hopefully the Summer Spurs’ young backcourt will continue to shine there. Game notes I’ve seen some concerns about White’s great Summer League performance not translating to actual games in the regular season. I wouldn’t be too worried. He’s hitting shots off the dribble, but also on spot up opportunities. His work on the pick and roll is clean and should actually improve if the defense is more concerned about better players. White doesn’t need the ball or to dribble for 15 seconds to get to his spots. His defense is not amazing but it’s solid. He should be able to transition into a 10-15 minutes a game role if the Spurs need him to next season, and do it well. White has a game-high 2️⃣3️⃣ points in only three quarters of play vs Memphis #SummerSpurs pic.twitter.com/J0o2aw2F0L — San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) July 6, 2018 It wasn’t all good for Lonnie. His handle needs a lot of work. There was a short stretch where he was asked to dribble the ball up court and even mild pressure made him uncomfortable. When he tries to attack, he can be too loose with the ball. It’s understandable. He’s just 19 years old. He’s not a finished product. Hopefully he’ll continue to work on his floor game to the point where it’s a strength and not a weakness. There’s time. For now, I’m going to enjoy watching his work in transition and his shot making ability. Chimezie Metu was one point and one rebound shy of a double-double. Once again he had a couple of moments in which he looked special on both ends. Those moments are too sporadic right now to truly get excited about him helping the team anytime soon, but they are there. Not bad for a second round pick, even if it’s just Summer League. If he can add some strength and get his range to extend to the three-point line, he could be a steal. I’m excited to see how he looks in Las Vegas. He needs the reps. The Spurs gave Olivier Hanlan some extended run in this one and he did fine. The 25-year-old combo guard finished the game with eight points, five rebounds and four assists. If the Spurs decide to shut down White early in Vegas, they have a good replacement in tow. some extended run in this one and he did fine. The 25-year-old combo guard finished the game with eight points, five rebounds and four assists. If the Spurs decide to shut down White early in Vegas, they have a good replacement in tow. Jaron Blossomgame was solid again, but didn’t show anything new. He took just one three-pointer, which he made, and dished out three assists. Yet it’s still hard to see him making the team without being a bigger offensive threat in the half court. was solid again, but didn’t show anything new. He took just one three-pointer, which he made, and dished out three assists. Yet it’s still hard to see him making the team without being a bigger offensive threat in the half court. The veterans were all decent. Cory Jefferson made a couple of threes and played solid defense. Jeff Ledbetter hit three of his five outside shots. Trey McKinney-Jones hit one three-pointer and had an assist. They are doing what they are expected to do, and it’s helping the younger players. made a couple of threes and played solid defense. Jeff Ledbetter hit three of his five outside shots. hit one three-pointer and had an assist. They are doing what they are expected to do, and it’s helping the younger players. Drew Eubanks had the best performance out of the Summer Spurs’ two young centers. Eubanks was in the right place on defense and continued to be productive, logging seven points and three rebounds in 11 minutes. Amida Brimah didn’t make a big impact this time. I doubt either of these two has even an outside chance at a two-way contract but both are interesting enough that I want to see them in Austin next season. Let’s see who does better in Vegas. didn’t make a big impact this time. I doubt either of these two has even an outside chance at a two-way contract but both are interesting enough that I want to see them in Austin next season. Let’s see who does better in Vegas. Jaren Jackson Jr. , the fourth pick of the draft, had a tough night. He struggled with the Spurs’ physicality and Metu got the best of him a couple of times on both ends. I still think he’s going to be a star. He knows how to use his athleticism. He should be a solid third big man for Memphis this season. Up next The Spurs will make their Las Vegas Summer League debut on July 7 against the Pacers. The game will be played on the Thomas & Mack Center and will be televised by ESPN2. Tip-off is at 2:30 p.m. CST.<doc-sep>After a break for the Fourth of July, the 2018 Utah Jazz Summer League will conclude tonight with another exciting doubleheader. No. 4 overall pick Jaren Jackson Jr. will lead the Grizzlies (2-0 this week) against No. 18 pick Lonnie Walker IV and the Spurs at 5pm, while the Jazz and Hawks will wrap up this week’s action at 7pm. Jackson Jr. scored 29 points (and shot 8-for-13 from 3-point range) in his debut on Monday, and the 18-year-old big man followed that up with 10 points and eight rebounds against the Jazz on Tuesday night. Kobi Simmons, who’s averaging 20.5 points through two games, is also having a standout week for the Grizzlies. Second-year guard Derrick White leads the Spurs in scoring this week (21.5 ppg), while Jaron Blossomgame finished with 16 points and 10 rebounds during Tuesday’s win over the Hawks. Utah’s Grayson Allen, who was held out of Tuesday’s game, is expected to suit up for tonight’s finale. The rookie finished with 11 points, eight rebounds and seven assists in only 16 minutes on Monday. Georges Niang is averaging a team-best 17.5 points through two games, while second-year center Tony Bradley has recorded two straight double-doubles. He’s averaging 14.5 points, 12.5 rebounds and 2.5 blocks this week. For the Hawks, No. 5 overall pick Trae Young will look to find his groove after shooting a combined 9-for-36 (25.0 percent) from the field—and 2-for-16 (12.5 percent) from 3-point range—in Atlanta’s two losses. General admission upper bowl tickets are still available for only $5, and there’s a fan fest on the arena’s plaza before the games. Doors open at 4pm.<doc-sep>
The first game of Day 3 of the Utah Jazz Summer League once again turned into the Derrick White show. White put up 20+ points for the third straight game, netting 26 to go along with seven rebounds and six assists as the Spurs took down the Memphis Grizzlies 94-87. The second-year wing shot 5-for-8 from beyond the arc (including one four-point play) and finished the week averaging 23.0 points per game. White has a game-high points in only three quarters of play vs Memphis #SummerSpurs pic.twitter.com/J0o2aw2F0L — San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) July 6, 2018 After struggling on Monday (3-for-16 shooting) and sitting out Tuesday (rest), San Antonio's Lonnie Walker IV finally made some noise with a 3-pointer and a transition dunk on consecutive possessions in the second quarter—and then he hit nothing but net on another three two minutes later. The No. 18 overall pick finished with 14 points in 25 minutes. Wayne Selden went off for the Grizzlies in the loss. The third-year wing scored 26 points and shot 6-for-7 from 3-point range. For the week, Selden averaged 23 points over two games. Jaren Jackson Jr. fell back to earth a bit after two standout performances. The No. 4 overall pick finished with eight points (on 1-for-7 shooting), four rebounds and three blocks in 26 minutes. After shooting 8-for-13 from beyond the arc on Monday, Jackson attempted only one 3-pointer tonight. He consistently got to the rim but shot only 1-for-6 from close range. Nice assist from @nextlevel_03 and an easy dunk by @jarenjacksonjr The Grizzlies are up by 6 vs. the @spurs right now on @NBATV! pic.twitter.com/BkG9JuAdX5 — Memphis Grizzlies (@memgrizz) July 5, 2018 Both the Spurs and Grizzlies went 2-1 this week. Notable Jaron Blossomgame added 10 points for the Spurs in the win. ... San Antonio shot 15-for-25 (60.0 percent) from 3-point range. White (5-for-8) and Jeff Ledbetter (3-for-5) led the way. ... Kobi Simmons and Brady Heslip finished with 10 points each for the Grizzlies. ... Former Jazz draft pick Olivier Hanlan (No. 42 in 2015) made his 2018 Summer League debut for the Spurs. He finished with eight points, five rebounds, and four assists in 22 minutes. ... The Spurs led by as many as 18 points. Up Next Both teams will play in the Las Vegas Summer League, which runs from June 6 until June 17.