Former Missouri players wrapped up another busy stretch of NBA Summer League action Friday and Saturday, highlighted by Caleb Grill’s breakout scoring performance, John Tonje’s return to form and the Memphis Grizzlies advancing to Sunday’s Summer League championship game.
Friday’s action began with Sean East II helping the Cleveland Cavaliers to a 100-91 victory over the Chicago Bulls. East logged 18 minutes — his second-highest total of Summer League — and finished with four points after shooting 1-for-3 from the field and making his lone free throw. He added one rebound, two assists, two steals and one block.
The only other former Tiger in action Friday was Tamar Bates, as his Utah Jazz defeated the San Antonio Spurs 83-79. Bates started and played 19 minutes, finishing with five points on 2-for-7 shooting, including 1-for-4 from 3-point range. He also grabbed one rebound.
After several efficient outings to begin Summer League, Bates turned in his toughest performance of the event. His 28.6% shooting performance marked his least efficient offensive game of the summer so far.
Saturday opened with the Boston Celtics falling 103-97 to the Orlando Magic, but both former Tigers provided plenty of offense.
Tonje bounced back from his difficult outing earlier in the week by scoring 14 points in 19 minutes. In the start he shot 6-for-9 from the field and 2-for-5 from beyond the arc while adding four rebounds, three assists and one block. His efficient performance continued an impressive Summer League that has showcased his ability to score in a variety of ways.
Grill followed with his best performance of the summer. The former Missouri guard played 21 minutes and scored a team-high 18 points while shooting 6-for-12 from the field. He connected on four of his nine attempts from 3-point range, added three rebounds and one assist while sinking one of his two free-throw attempts.
The same shooting ability that established Grill as a premiere 3-point threat with Missouri was on full display against the Magic. His quick release and confidence from beyond the arc helped spark Boston’s offense throughout the contest.
The final game for a Tiger on Saturday was the NBA Summer League semifinals, where Jevon Porter and the Memphis Grizzlies defeated the Houston Rockets 101-90 to advance to the Championship. Porter did not play, via the coach’s decision.
Porter is also among a group of college athletes who just finished their fourth season of competition and are filing an injunction for eligibility. Porter played 12 games with the Tigers during the 2025-26 season.
Sunday’s schedule
The final day of NBA Summer League begins with Mark Mitchell, Trevon Brazile and the Denver Nuggets facing the Toronto Raptors at 5:30 p.m. in a consolation matchup.
The championship game follows at 8 p.m., when Porter and the Memphis Grizzlies will face the winner of Saturday night’s semifinal between the Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State Warriors for the 2026 NBA Summer League title.
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