The Memphis Grizzlies and Atlanta Hawks played a Summer League game Thursday night in Las Vegas. By the end of the first quarter, the scoreboard read 32-2. That is not a typo.
The Hawks did not score until there were 3 minutes and 43 seconds left in the quarter. Cameron Corhen finally dropped in a layup. Before that, Atlanta missed its first four shots and turned the ball over eight times. They even missed a free throw off a transition take foul. It was the kind of start that makes you check your phone to see if the app glitched.
Meanwhile, the Grizzlies hit nine of their first ten shots from the field. Cameron Boozer and Cedric Coward led the charge. Memphis built a 30-point lead in ten minutes and pretty much laughed the Hawks off the court. Atlanta had come into the game undefeated in Summer League. Nobody would have guessed that watching the first quarter.
A bright spot for Atlanta
Kobe Johnson, the younger brother of Hawks star Jalen Johnson, has been the story for Atlanta this summer. He is averaging 19.3 points, 7.3 rebounds, 2.7 assists, and 1.7 steals through three games while shooting nearly 56 percent from the field. That is a small sample size, sure. But he is making a real case for a two-way roster spot.
Thursday night was not his night though. The whole team looked lost. The Grizzlies just overwhelmed them with depth and athleticism.
Memphis has real NBA guys out there
The Grizzlies Summer League roster is stacked. Coward, Olivier-Maxence Prosper, Javon Small, Taylor Hendricks, and Jahmai Mashack all played meaningful minutes for the NBA team last season. Then you add Boozer and Karim Lopez, their first-round picks from the 2026 draft. That is a whole lot of talent for an exhibition setting.
Fans online had a field day with the box score. Some called it the most absurd quarter in Summer League history. Others just posted the score with no comment, letting it speak for itself. Either way, the Hawks will want to forget that ten-minute stretch in a hurry. The Grizzlies, on the other hand, look like they are treating Summer League like it matters.
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