Kennedy Chandler double-double not enough as Memphis Grizzlies lose to Boston

LAS VEGAS — The Memphis Grizzlies entered Thursday with a chance to play in the Summer League championship game. A convincing victory was needed against the Boston Celtics.

Instead, the Grizzlies struggled early and even when the offense found a rhythm, the defense was unable to get enough stops to flip the script, losing their final regular-season game 108-91 at the Thomas & Mack Center.

Ziaire Williams continued to show off his steady midrange shot. He led the Grizzlies with 21 points. Six Grizzlies scored in double figures, but that total was matched by the Celtics.

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Memphis shot 3-for-20 from the 3-point line, while Boston made 13 of its 36 3-pointers.

Here are some observations from the game:

Kennedy Chandler learning on the fly

Coming off the bench has given Kennedy Chandler a noticeable boost in the last two games. Coach David McClure wanted to split his minutes with Williams so both could get time running the offense.

Chandler finished with 11 points and 10 assists. Even though he had a good night, Chandler didn't care much since the Grizzlies' Summer League title hopes ended.

“I like criticism," Chandler said. "Even if I have a good game, I don’t want to say what I did, I want to know what I did wrong to get better from it.”

Perimeter defense

Perimeter defense had been one of the Grizzlies' strength through Summer League play, but the Celtics gave them trouble.

Rookie guard J.D. Davison sliced through the Grizzlies' defense with his quickness and made four 3-pointers to go with his 28 points. Five-year NBA veteran Justin Jackson added 16 points even as the Grizzlies put several different wing defenders on him. Boston shot 50% overall, while Memphis finished at 44%.

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Jake LaRavia's lack of offense

Teams are making an effort to slow down Jake LaRavia, but his lack of offensive production has been puzzling.

LaRavia is spacing the floor, but he hasn't been as impactful as a rebounder or scorer. LaRavia finished Thursday with no points on 0-for-2 shooting. After scoring 13 points in the first game in Salt Lake City, LaRavia failed to score more than six points or attempt more than seven shots in his last five games.

“The ball can find him a little bit more in the action," McClure said. "Sometimes it doesn’t find him, but there are also times where he can do a better job hunting the shot, and that’s a learning curve for him.”

Contact Damichael Cole at damichael.cole@commercialappeal.com and on Twitter @damichaelc

This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Memphis Grizzlies lose Summer League game to Boston Celtics