The Cleveland Cavaliers remain undefeated in Las Vegas summer league play with a 100-77 win over the Memphis Grizzlies.
Sam Merrill led the Cavaliers with 27 points and had eight 3-pointers.
For the Grizzlies, David Roddy kept the team afloat until the end with 18 points.
Here are four observations from the game.
Kenneth Lofton Jr.’s consistent play carries the Grizzlies
It’s easy to see why Lofton Jr. is separating himself from the rest of the pack.
Lofton Jr., who scored 42 points in his NBA debut back on April 10, demonstrated his growth from year one to year two. He played in 24 games with the Grizzlies, and his experience is showing in the summer league.
The consistency from the summer league games in Utah carried over to Las Vegas, as Lofton Jr. finished with 15 points and shot 5-for-12 from the field.
More: The Memphis Grizzlies are zeroing in on one area of improvement for Kenneth Lofton Jr.
Lofton Jr.’s offensive skill-set looks very complete. The 6-foot-6 center has a traditional back to the basket game as well as a soft shooting touch that is reliable for floaters and jump hooks.
On a variety of moves, Lofton Jr. also uses his frame to create angles to seal off his defender. Lofton Jr. isn’t afraid to shoot the long ball either. His 3-point shooting is also consistent as well.
Additionally, his unselfish play led to four assists.
As one of the four sophomore players leading the summer league team, Lofton Jr. hopes to use this experience to propel him into next season.
Emoni Bates, former Memphis Tigers standout, shines
When it was announced that the Grizzlies would face Emoni Bates in summer league action, the interest around the game began to increase.
Bates, of course, has ties to Memphis, as he played for coach Penny Hardaway at Memphis in his freshman season back in 2021.
While Bates was making his name heard through the AAU circuit, he was getting comparisons to Kevin Durant.
Bates played in 18 games — starting 13 of them. He averaged 9.7 points, but missed the final stretch of the regular season with a lower back injury, according to his Eastern Michigan biography page.
Bates finished with 21 points Monday.
Although the Grizzlies held Bates to five points in the first half, the former Tiger forward found his rhythm and had 16 points in the second half.
Former Memphis Grizzlies guard Sam Merrill lights up in summer league
For six games in the 2021-22 season, Sam Merrill suited up for the Grizzlies. Merrill averaged 4.2 points in his short stint and shot 30.4% from 3-point range.
Fast-forward to the 2023 summer league, it seemed like Merrill was out for revenge as he lit up the Grizzlies from a distance. Three after three, Merrill continued to keep the Grizzlies out of reach.
The Grizzlies answer was supposed to be Jake LaRavia. After every Merrill 3-pointer, it seemed like LaRavia went right back at him with a 3-pointer of his own.
Merrill won the 3-point shooting battle, nailing eight 3-pointers from distance, compared to LaRavia’s five.
Up Next
The Grizzlies continue their summer league games Wednesday, as they face the Los Angeles Clippers at (2:30 pm on NBATV).
Reach sports writer Jerry Jiang at [email protected] or on Twitter @j_jiang30
This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Emoni Bates, Sam Merrill led the Cleveland Cavaliers to a 100-77 win in Las Vegas