The NBA Summer League final is set, and Las Vegas got there the hard way: one team jumped ahead early, the other had to survive until the final possession.
The Memphis Grizzlies beat the Houston Rockets 101-90 on Saturday night to reach the 2026 NBA Summer League championship game, with Cedric Coward driving the show. Coward finished with 28 points, six rebounds and five assists, while No. 3 pick Cameron Boozer added 12 points, 12 rebounds and five assists.
Memphis never trailed after a 26-9 first quarter, giving the Rockets a chase they could not finish. Houston hit 16 of 37 from 3-point range, but Memphis answered by going 17 of 18 at the free-throw line.
Quadir Copeland kept Houston in the fight with 24 points on 9-of-13 shooting, but the result changes the picture for Memphis. Boozer arrived in Las Vegas with attention already on him, and the pressure is now on in Sunday night’s final.
Golden State made sure the opponent would be the Warriors, not the Lakers, after a 92-88 win in the second semifinal. Yaxel Lendeborg had 15 points, four rebounds, three assists and two blocks, while Graham Ike and LJ Cryer each scored 16.
The Warriors shot 12 of 24 from 3-point range in a game that had 18 lead changes and 10 ties. The Lakers had the ball down 88-87 inside the final minute, then got one more chance to tie it late before Will Richard knocked the ball away.
“WILL RICHARD SEALS THE GAME FOR GOLDEN STATE!” the NBA posted after the defensive stop.
Memphis and Golden State will meet Sunday, July 19, at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN for the Summer League title.
