Cedric Coward leads Grizzlies into Summer League final
Cedric Coward put the Memphis Grizzlies on the brink of Las Vegas Summer League glory, dropping 28 points with six rebounds and five assists in a 101-90 semifinal win over Houston. Memphis faces the Golden State Warriors tonight at 9 ET on ESPN for the championship, with Coward, Cameron Boozer, and Javon Small forming a formidable Big Three.
Key Takeaways
- Cedric Coward starred in Memphis’ 101-90 semifinal win over Houston with 28 points, six rebounds and five assists.
- The Grizzlies (4-1) meet the Warriors in the Las Vegas Summer League championship at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN.
- Cameron Boozer (12-12-5) and Javon Small (17-7-6) join Coward in a Summer League Big Three for Memphis.
- Golden State advanced with a 92-88 semifinal win over the Lakers behind a balanced attack.
- Both clubs are chasing a second Las Vegas Summer League title (Warriors 2013, Grizzlies 2019).
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Who is Cedric Coward and why does he matter tonight?
Coward has been the Grizzlies’ clearest difference-maker in Vegas. In Saturday’s semifinal, he filled the box score as a scorer, rebounder and playmaker, giving Memphis a go-to option when the Rockets tried to slow the attack.
That all-around night is why Memphis enters the title game as the favorite, according to Bleacher Report’s championship preview. Depth around him only raises the bar for Golden State’s defense.
How did the Grizzlies and Warriors reach the Summer League final?
Memphis rolled Houston behind the Coward-Boozer pairing. Boozer, a 2026 lottery pick, posted a double-double with 12 points and 12 rebounds plus five assists. Small added 17 points, seven rebounds and six assists, and three other Grizzlies reached double figures.
Golden State took a different path, leaning on balance rather than one star explosion. First-round pick Yaxel Lendeborg scored 15 points in a 92-88 win over the Los Angeles Lakers. Graham Ike added 16 points and 11 rebounds, giving the Warriors a paint presence that can challenge Memphis inside.
Can Golden State slow Cedric Coward and Memphis’ Big Three?
Containing Coward alone will not be enough. Bleacher Report frames Coward, Boozer and Small as a Summer League Big Three who chip across scoring, rebounding and playmaking. That mix, plus Memphis’ scoring depth, makes the Grizzlies hard to contain for a full championship night.
Golden State’s best counter may start in the paint with Lendeborg matching Boozer and Ike attacking the rim. On the perimeter, Will Richard and LJ Cryer are the backcourt candidates to keep pace; Cryer scored 12 of his 16 semifinal points from beyond the arc.
Tip-off is Sunday, July 19, at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN from Las Vegas. Both franchises are playing for a second Las Vegas Summer League crown—the Warriors last won in 2013, the Grizzlies in 2019—with Cedric Coward at the center of Memphis’ title push.