NBA Summer League 2015: Scores and Highlights from Saturday's Las Vegas Results
Las Vegas Summer League play continued Saturday with eight games at Cox Pavilion and Thomas & Mack Center, and just like Friday, the headliners were made up of a collection of highly touted incoming rookies.
And while it was just the second day of play out in Sin City, Saturday's matchups served as a nice introductory session for fans who are starting to familiarize themselves with this year's impressive crop of first-year players.
| New Orleans Pelicans vs. Dallas Mavericks | Pelicans def. Mavericks, 90-86 |
| New York Knicks vs. San Antonio Spurs | Knicks def. Spurs, 78-73 |
| Washington Wizards vs. Phoenix Suns | Suns def. Wizards, 86-77 |
| Chicago Bulls vs. Minnesota Timberwolves | Bulls def. Timberwolves, 84-71 |
| Boston Celtics vs. Portland Trail Blazers | Celtics def. Trail Blazers, 85-76 |
| Los Angeles Lakers vs. Philadelphia 76ers | Lakers def. 76ers, 68-60 |
| Brooklyn Nets vs. Cleveland Cavaliers | Nets def. Cavaliers, 76-75 |
| Miami Heat vs. Utah Jazz | Heat def. Jazz, 82-79 |
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Pelicans def. Mavericks, 90-86
After downing the Milwaukee Bucks 101-89 Friday evening, the New Orleans Pelicans improved to 2-0 in Las Vegas with a 90-86 win over the Dallas Mavericks.
Dallas first-round pick Justin Anderson hit the professional hardwood for the first time since being selected No. 21 overall in the June draft, and he didn't disappoint. In 32 minutes, the former Virginia Cavalier recorded a team-high 23 points (8-of-18 shooting, 3-of-10 from three) and seven rebounds, although he did miss a potential game-tying three with under five seconds remaining.
"Anderson is a beast," Dallas owner Mark Cuban said on June 26, according to Austin Ngaruiya of MavsMoneyball.com. "For a guy who weighs 230 pounds and has a 43-inch vertical, he moves really well, is aggressive. He doesn't back down from anybody. He played in a system in Virginia that was aggressive defensively, so he's got that D-first mentality."
Dwight Powell also impressed for Dallas, dropping 19 points and 14 boards.
Dwain Price of the Star-Telegram noted the 2014 second-round pick could make meaningful contributions next season:
But truth be told, the highlight of the Mavericks' Las Vegas opener came when Cuban sat down with NBA TV and refused to acknowledge DeAndre Jordan's existence, as captured by GifdSports on Twitter:
A day after dropping 30 points against the Bucks, Seth Curry cooled down just a bit, totaling 25 points on 9-of-23 shooting. While he hit just 1-of-9 threes, Curry still managed to lead the Pelicans in scoring by a whopping 11 points.
The highlight of Curry's day came via a four-point play in the second quarter:
Fuquan Edwin and Bryce Dejean-Jones were the only other Pelicans players to finish in double figures, tallying 14 and 10 points, respectively, in the win.
Knicks def. Spurs, 78-73
In a 78-73 victory over the San Antonio Spurs, New York Knicks No. 4 overall pick Kristaps Porzingis scored 12 points on 3-of-5 shooting and 6-of-7 shooting at the free-throw line.
And while Porzingis' final line was steady, Bleacher Report's Ethan Skolnick explained that the 19-year-old still has plenty of work to do in the weight room:
ESPN New York's Ohm Youngmisuk confirmed Skolnick's observation with one of his own:
To Youngmisuk's point, Porzingis finished a lob from point guard Jerian Grant thanks to his massive wingspan despite mistiming the jump:
He also got up to swat Spurs point-forward Kyle Anderson:
Grant matched Porzingis' total with 12 points of his own, and he tacked on five boards and three dimes to complete a successful afternoon. Second-year man Cleanthony Early led the Knicks with 18 points, and New York outscored the Spurs by a team-best 23 points during his 25 minutes of action.
Anderson topped out at 23 points for the silver and black, but it was Jonathan Simmons who provided some show-stopping theatrics with a monster slam:
The game was also a historic one for Spurs coach Becky Hammon. An assistant coach with San Antonio during the regular season, Hammon became the first female head coach of a summer league team in NBA history during her team's loss.
Suns def. Wizards, 86-77
Archie Goodwin scored 22 points and T.J. Warren added 20 as the Phoenix Suns dropped the Washington Wizards, 86-77, Saturday afternoon.
The Suns set the tone by outscoring the Wizards, 20-9, in the first quarter, and Phoenix proceeded to win two of the remaining three quarters thanks to its stable of young talent.
Along with Warren and Goodwin, center Alex Len helped pace the Suns with 17 points and a team-high eight rebounds while shooting 7-of-14 from the floor.
Two of his more spectacular points came via a lob from Warren in the second quarter, according to the Suns' official Twitter account:
Lottery pick Devin Booker also finished in double-figures, scoring 12 points on 4-of-11 shooting. The sharpshooter from Kentucky did miss all four of his long-range attempts, though.
On the losing side, Wizards first-round pick Kelly Oubre impressed by scoring a team-high 20 points while playing some pesky perimeter defense (two steals). And while he did shoot a respectable 8-of-20 from the field, Oubre missed all seven of his three-point attempts.
Oubre was billed as a fairly raw product coming out of Kansas, but his showing against the Suns provided a glimpse of how far his athletic gifts can take him.
Bulls def. Timberwolves, 84-71
Welcome to the show, Bobby Portis.
The Arkansas product led the Chicago Bulls with 23 points on 9-of-14 shooting, but forget those basic numbers for a second. Portis also drilled three of his four three-point attempts, which pointed to a potential future as a modified stretch-4.
Since he already crashes the glass with reckless abandon, a semi-reliable three-point stroke would be a major boon for Portis and the Bulls.
Oh, and he can rock the rim, too.
The Wall Street Journal's Chris Herring came away impressed by the 20-year-old:
Following an injury-plagued rookie season, former Creighton star Doug McDermott had himself a nice day, scoring 20 points on a tidy 9-of-16 shooting. If McBuckets can stay healthy, expect some noticeable improvement under new head coach Fred Hoiberg.
In his second taste of Vegas action, No. 1 overall pick Karl-Anthony Towns was relatively quiet, mustering nine points, nine boards and two blocks in 33 minutes.
Second-year swingman Zach LaVine ran the show for Minnesota, dropping a team-high 20 points, nine of which came at the charity stripe. Rookie point guard Tyus Jones added 14 points and tied a team-high with three assists.
Celtics def. Trail Blazers, 85-76
The Celtics' stifling defense forced Portland into 20 turnovers, and although the Blazers made a decent comeback effort after trailing 51-33 at halftime, it wasn't enough to beat Boston.
A balanced scoring effort also helped drive the Celtics to the win. Five players scored in double figures, and rookie second-round pick Jordan Mickey showed off his skills in a big way. The NCAA's reigning lead shot-blocker swatted three shots and had two steals to go with 15 points and 10 rebounds.
Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald liked the potential he saw in Mickey:
One of the more notable plays came when Marcus Smart found Mickey down low, and the LSU product finished at the rim:
R.J. Hunter missed six of eight shots from the field for Boston—the victors shot just 35.3 percent as a team—but sank eight of 10 free throws to net 13 points and a game-best +16 net rating.
Celtics.com's Marc D'Amico feels Hunter is starting to come into his own:
Reigning D-League MVP Tim Frazier acquitted himself well in his bid to stick in the Association. Frazier helped Portland keep the score respectable with 11 points, nine rebounds and eight assists.
Guard Allen Crabbe led the Blazers with 15 points, and rookie Pat Connaughton connected on three treys to net nine points. Connaughton was also the only starter who didn't commit multiple turnovers.
If Portland can clean up its ball security, its summer squad has the ingredients to make some noise in Las Vegas. The Celtics' staff has been big on fundamentals in the Brad Stevens era, and Boston's identity was evident in its ability to grind out a tough triumph even when shots weren't falling for much of the night.
Lakers def. 76ers, 68-60
Tons of anticipation preceded this showdown between LA's No. 2 overall pick D'Angelo Russell and the man selected after him in Philly's Jahlil Okafor.
Russell's side won, but he struggled with three assists to seven turnovers, five fouls and was 4-of-15 shooting, though he still managed 14 points and eight rebounds. The Ohio State star's backcourt mate Jordan Clarkson picked up the slack in a big way with 19 points to lead the Lakers.
The Sixers' marquee big man had 19 points of his own to match Clarkson for the game's most, and Okafor added 11 rebounds and two blocks to his stat line. Oh, and one of those stuffs came on Russell, which can be seen below, courtesy of The Cauldron:
Larry Nance Jr., the Lakers' less hyped first-round pick from this year's draft, avenged the Okafor pack by rising up and swatting the Duke national champion later in the game:
What ultimately doomed the Sixers was a concoction of 16 total turnovers and 28.3 percent shooting. Such is not a recipe for winning, and Philadelphia's only sustained success came when Okafor had the ball in his hands down low.
Okafor looks like an especially great pick now that Joel Embiid is likely out for the season, per the Philadelphia Inquirer's Keith Pompey. Still in the midst of a massive rebuilding project, Philadelphia fans can't expect much out of summer league save for Okafor's progress.
Saturday wasn't Russell's finest hour, but he's bound to continue improving as he gains chemistry with Clarkson, Nance, eventually Julius Randle and the other Lakers before the 2015-16 campaign gets underway.
Nets def. Cavaliers, 76-75
Ryan Boatright led Brooklyn with 16 points, but it was Rondae Hollis-Jefferson who made the clutch shots down the stretch to drive the Nets to victory. Markel Brown sank two free throws with two seconds remaining to seal the win.
Jefferson stuffed the stat sheet with 15 points, nine rebounds, four assists and four steals, helping to spark a decisive fourth quarter that saw Brooklyn outscore Cleveland 21-12.
After winning a national title at Connecticut and leading the team this last year as a senior, no NBA team felt Boatright was worthy of being drafted. His form in the summer league suggests otherwise, and Boatright spoke last week about how going undrafted has impacted him, per the New York Daily News' Tim Botemps:
"Twenty-nine teams passed on me. I've got a national championship, played in a tough league, should have been the player of the year. So for 29 teams to pass on me with 60 picks...I don't think there's 59 players better than me. I come out here and try to be ready every time I step on the floor.
"
The Cavs have quite the star-studded NBA roster, which doesn't really cater to summer league prowess. Joe Harris was a disappointing 2-of-10 shooting, and had an ill-fated attempt to win the game once Brown sank his freebies, per Cavs play-by-play announcer Fred McLeod:
Rookie second-round pick Rakeem Christmas flashed nicely for Cleveland, registering eight points, four rebounds and four blocks in just under 22 minutes—albeit with six fouls.
Twenty-three total turnovers were what really crushed Cleveland in this contest. It's a wonder the Cavs had a real chance to win entering the final quarter with such sloppy play. They'll have to improve in that area or risk similar results and stunted development for the fringe players in the organization.
Heat def. Jazz, 82-79
Another former UConn star in addition to Boatright had an impact for Miami in its narrow victory over Utah on Saturday.
Point guard Shabazz Napier manufactured 14 points—eight of which came from the charity stripe—and dished out a team-high four assists with just two turnovers. The distributing proficiency was rare on a day when turnovers seemed rampant in Vegas.
But it was another floor general who stole the show even in defeat. Bryce Cotton spent last year as a D-League All-Star and could be in line for a permanent promotion to the Association if he keeps playing like he did Saturday en route to 28 points.
KSL.com's Ben Anderson believes Cotton is worthy of an NBA roster spot in Salt Lake City:
Cotton played in 15 games for Utah in 2014-15 and may well work his way into the Jazz's rotation this next year—or he could find a place elsewhere. It's hard for anyone to ignore how he's dominated the sub-NBA competition last season and now.
Dante Exum is still too young and talented to write off, but some may see Cotton and believe he'd be a better long-term option than the to-date disappointing Trey Burke. At least Utah has the enviable problem of a point guard surplus—though one could argue Exum is better suited for the 2—in an era where the NBA is stacked at the position.
The future appears bright in Utah with so many promising young players. Its impressive summer league form should remain on point. It will be interesting to see when the Jazz can put it all together and be a factor in the crowded Western Conference playoff race.
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