NBA Summer League 2022: Hot Takes About Top Players from Utah Day 3

The 2022 Summer League session in Salt Lake City came to an end Thursday with a pair of entertaining games at Vivint Arena.

The Philadelphia 76ers took down the Oklahoma City Thunder 80-79 in a dramatic finish. The Memphis Grizzlies came back from a double-digit halftime deficit to topple the Utah Jazz.

Here's a look at what stood out to NBA fans on social media from both contests.

---

Third-Year Shooting Guard Isaiah Joe Shines for Sixers

Philadelphia had an unlikely hero Thursday in 2020 second-round pick Isaiah Joe. The former Arkansas Razorback notched 19 points, four rebounds and four steals, and he propelled the Sixers to victory with his game-winning three-pointer.

Joe has appeared in 96 games over his two NBA seasons, but he's never really had the opportunity to show his capabilities. He was a 37.8 percent three-point shooter over his two years at Arkansas, and he hit four of his six triples Thursday. He scored 10 of his 19 points in the fourth quarter alone.

NBA Twitter was impressed with the 23-year-old's performance in crunch time against OKC.

Besides Joe's impressive night, the Sixers got a big game out of power forward Paul Reed, who put up 14 points and seven rebounds. He was able to take advantage of space inside thanks to the absence of Thunder star rookie center Chet Holmgren, who was rested Thursday.

As the Sixers transition to the summer league session in Las Vegas, Joe has the opportunity to prove that he can be a steady member of Philadelphia's rotation next season. Thursday's performance is a strong step in that direction.

---

Jared Butler Flashes Potential for Jazz

Utah completed an 0-3 run in Salt Lake City with Thursday's loss, which was particularly disappointing. The Jazz led by 12 at halftime and wound up losing by 11 after being outscored 57-34 in the second half.

But there was one bright spot for Utah in second-year guard Jared Butler, who had a game-high 22 points while adding seven rebounds and seven assists. The Baylor alum overcame a tough start and found his shooting stroke in the second half.

Fans and pundits online liked what they saw from Butler as the 2021 second-round pick continued to battle down the stretch while the rest of the team struggled.

Bruno Caboclo added 17 points for the Jazz, scoring 15 in the first half. Former Illinois star Kofi Cockburn added 12 points and nine rebounds. Ziaire Williams led Memphis with 19 points.

Butler sat out Wednesday's game for rest purposes, and it paid dividends on Thursday. The 21-year-old still has to work on his consistency if he wants to crack Utah's rotation in his second year.