Jaren Jackson Jr.‘s summer league debut couldn’t have gone much better.
The same can’t be said for Trae Young.
Jackson, the fourth pick in the NBA draft, outshined No. 5 overall pick Young in their first NBA action. The 6-foot-10 Jackson had 29 points and shot 8-of-13 from 3-point range to help the Memphis Grizzlies beat Young’s Atlanta Hawks 103-88 on Monday night in Salt Lake City.
Jackson hit his first two 3-pointers and was 4-of-6 from beyond the arc in the first half, including a buzzer-beater from midcourt to give his team a 47-41 lead. The 18-year-old Jackson showed the shooting stroke that made him a 40 percent 3-point shooter in college and scored 12 straight points during one stretch in the fourth quarter to help the Grizzlies pull away.
“I definitely felt hot at different spots during the game. If kind of felt surreal a little bit,” said Jackson, the team’s highest-drafted player since Hasheem Thabeet, who was No. 2 in 2009.
While Jackson was doing just about everything right, Young was having a miserable debut.
Young, who averaged 27.4 points last season for Oklahoma, missed all nine shot attempts in the first half, including six 3-pointers. The Big 12 Freshman of the Year, whose draft rights were swapped with the Dallas Mavericks for No. 3 pick Luka Doncic, struggled to recover after air balls on his first two shots and finished with 16 points on 4 of 20 shooting.
He was 1-of-11 from beyond the arc.
GRIZZLIES 103, HAWKS 88
Kobi Simmons had 19 of his 21 points in the first half and finished 8-of-13 from the field for the Grizzlies, while second-round pick Jevon Carter chipped in with 10 points and five rebounds.
Tyler Dorsey led the Hawks with 18 points and seven rebounds.
Omari Spellman, one of Atlanta’s three first-round draft picks, had a solid showing with 11 points and six rebounds. Their other first-round pick, Kevin Huerter, did not play because of a wrist injury.
JAZZ 92, SPURS 76
Georges Niang scored 17 points, while first-round draft pick Grayson Allen had 11 points, eight rebounds and seven assists for the Jazz. Tony Bradley had 11 points and 11 rebounds. Derrick White led the Spurs with 22 points and seven rebounds.
San Antonio’s top draft pick, Lonnie Walker IV, struggled in his debut, limited to seven points while shooting 3-of-16 from the field.
WARRIORS 79, HEAT 68
Kendrick Nunn had 19 points and 11 rebounds to lead the Warriors in a game played in Sacramento, California.
Warriors first-round draft pick Jacob Evans did not play because of a bruised toe sustained in practice last week.
Derrick Jones Jr. had a big game for Miami with 24 points and 11 rebounds, including a monster two-hand dunk after slashing down the lane. Bam Adebayo added 14 points and 14 rebounds.
KINGS 98, LAKERS 93
Marvin Bagley III showed why he was the No. 2 pick, turning in a strong debut with 18 points and six rebounds for Sacramento on the Kings’ home floor.
Harry Giles made a successful debut after being held out of last season with knee injuries. Giles, the 20th overall pick in 2017, was 6-of-10 from the field and finished with 13 points and three rebounds.
De’Aaron Fox had 22 points, eight rebounds and six assists. Frank Mason III had 16 points, including a key 3-pointer late to help seal the win.
Josh Hart had 23 points for the Lakers before being ejected from the game with 1:04 left and his team trailing by four after picking up his second technical for disputing a call. Rookie Moritz Wagner had 23 points and seven rebounds.