SALT LAKE CITY — For the second night in a row, it was a close finish for the Grizzlies at Salt Lake City Summer League.
Tied at 85 with time expiring, Isaiah Collier put up a shot that careened off the rim. Jaylen Wells, the Grizzlies second round pick at 39th overall, was in the right place at the right time. Wells grabbed the rebound and put up a floater all in one motion and the ball swished through the net as the buzzer sounded. The Grizzlies beat the Philadelphia 76ers, 87-85.
"I saw opportunity. Shoutout to my teammates, they set me up for that," Wells told Grind City Media after the game. "Without them battling in the paint and tipping the ball out, I never would have had that opportunity."
It was a bounce back game for Wells. After a poor shooting night where he finished 1-for-9 and with only two points on Monday, the rookie forward poured in 27 points and chipped in six rebounds in the win. His fellow rookie teammate, Cam Spencer, added 18 points, seven rebounds and eight assists.
The two second round picks had plenty of opportunity to step up. First round pick Zach Edey was among four Monday night starters that did not play on Tuesday, including GG Jackson, Jake LaRavia and Scottie Pippen Jr. That was by design, more for maintenance than any reported injuries on the second night of a back-to-back.
Wells was unbothered by his previous poor shooting night and said his teammates encouraged him to still be aggressive.
"Just seeing that first shot go in that helped. My teammates they kept feeding me. They told me keep shooting. Coaches told me keep shooting. Shoutout to them. They kept my confidence up and kept believing in me," Wells said.
Memphis will play a final game in Salt Lake City, Wednesday night, against the Oklahoma City Thunder. Tip-off is set for 6 p.m.
