The Atlanta Hawks defeated the Memphis Grizzlies in the Salt Lake City Summer League on Day 3, improving to 2-1 behind Devon Higgs' 22 points, five rebounds and two assists. The Hawks pulled away late after the Grizzlies cut the deficit to 88-82 with 2:35 remaining on a Brendan Hausen three-pointer, then scored the final eight points to secure the win. Five Hawks reached double figures in a game with four lead changes, and Atlanta forced the Grizzlies into inefficient shooting despite all eight Memphis players who saw minutes scoring.
Atlanta shot 15 of 32 from three-point range for 46.9 percent while recording 24 assists on 33 made field goals. The team also hit 9 of 19 threes in the first half alone at a 47.4 percent clip and led by as many as 19. Higgs added five points in the third quarter during a stretch when the Grizzlies narrowed the margin to 55-51, and Jacob Toppin led the Hawks with 10 points and three rebounds early before Higgs took over. Carson Cooper paced the Grizzlies with seven points and one block in the first half.
The Hawks' defensive intensity created the open looks their perimeter shooting converted at a high rate. By emphasizing help defense and transition opportunities, Atlanta limited Memphis' ability to sustain runs even as Hausen connected on five threes and finished with 21 points. This approach aligns with a roster that values connectivity over individual isolation plays in summer league settings, turning a game that featured frequent lead changes into a controlled finish.
Higgs, who played six games for the College Park Skyhawks in 2025-26, delivered 8.0 points per game and 2.2 steals per game in that stint. His combination of scoring burst, defensive activity and three-point volume in this tournament performance could translate to deeper rotation minutes once the regular season arrives. On the Memphis side, Hausen attended Villanova, Kansas State and Iowa during his collegiate career and showed comfort launching from deep throughout the contest.
The result positions the Hawks favorably in a four-team Salt Lake City field that also includes the hometown Utah Jazz and Oklahoma City Thunder. Both Jazz and Thunder sit at 1-1 entering their nightcap. Payton Sandfort is coming off 25 points for the Thunder, while Blake Hinson has made his presence felt with his long-range shooting in each of the Jazz’s first two contests.
The Thunder and Jazz tip off at 9 p.m. ET on NBA TV, Prime Video, ESPN+ and League Pass from the Jon M. Huntsman Center, closing out the 2026 Salt Lake City Summer League slate that runs through Tuesday. Sandfort's recent scoring and Hinson's shooting will shape early pace and spacing decisions, with both teams looking to build continuity ahead of the final day of games.
Oklahoma City Thunder 
