Darrell Arthur led the way for Memphis with a game-high 18 points, while the offensive effort was rounded out by Mayo, who finished with 15 points and Mike Conley, who had 14 in the win.
"It was a good game, but we're are a young team, we've got a lot of young players,” said O.J. Mayo, after his summer league debut. “I think our main objective is every time we step on the court is to get better. Game or practice, win or loss." Memphis jumped out to an early 11-1 lead before New Orleans surged back to end the first quarter down 13-15 on the back of Hilton Armstrong’s five first-quarter points. The Grizzlies held on to their lead through the second quarter, owning an eight-point lead at the half; 38-30. In his summer league debut, Mayo led all scorers with 12 points going into the halftime break.
In the third quarter, New Orleans closed the eight-point halftime gap, pulling within two points, 44-46, with just under three minutes to play. Memphis fought back to finish the period up 13, 60-47. Memphis closed out the game with a 28-point fourth quarter.
Armstrong led all Hornets with 13 points, while Julian Wright chipped in with 12 points and five rebounds.
Next up: New Orleans and Memphis both return to action on Sunday, July 13 when they play the Charlotte Bobcats and Los Angeles Lakers, respectively.
Mayo's Big Night Leads Grizzlies
Courtesy of NBA.comRiding yesterday's victory, the Memphis Grizzlies improved their record to an 2008 NBA Summer League best 2-0 as they defeated the Milwaukee Bucks 88-79 in Saturday's night cap at the desert classic, which is Presented by EA SPORTS and is being held on the campus of UNLV in the COX Pavilion. The Bucks fell to 0-1. The victorious Grizzlies were led by their highly touted rookie, O.J. Mayo, who tallied 26 points.
Memphis dominated from the get-go, finishing the first quarter with a comfortable eight-point lead; 23-15. The Grizzlies spread the wealth in the opening period as eight players scored, including Darrell Arthur who had six.
The Grizzlies carried their momentum into the second period, their lead soaring to as many as 18 points before finishing the first half up by 16; 51-35. PJ Tucker led the way with a 10-point second quarter, while O.J. Mayo lead all scorers with 12 points heading into the break.
In the second half, Memphis had their lead cut to 11, but back-to-back O.J. Mayo three-pointers with less tan two minutes to play in the quarter helped push the lead back up to 18 at the end of the third. The Grizzlies continued their game-long domination, owning Summer League-leading 22-point lead early in the fourth quarter. Milwaukee charged back and cut the lead to seven late in the period, but was unable to sustain the momentum, dropping the game by nine points.
The Bucks were led by Ramon Sessions' 12 points and the combination of Trey Johnson and Matt Freije who each scored 11. Next up: Memphis will battle the Los Angeles Lakers in Sunday afternoon's third game, while Milwaukee will meet the Detroit Pistons in the first game on July 15th.
