NBA Summer League 2015: Scores and Highlights from Thursday's Las Vegas Results

Thursday continued knockout-round play at 2015 Las Vegas Summer League, as eight games were on the docket at the Thomas and Mack Center and Cox Pavilion.    

Fourth overall pick Kristaps Porzingis was scheduled to be in action alongside the New York Knicks, who were off to a promising start in Vegas.

Also on the docket was an increasingly promising Denver Nuggets team led by Emmanuel Mudiay and a solid group of young players in Boston, each entering Thursday undefeated. The Toronto Raptors, who earned the top seed in early action, were scheduled to take on the No. 17 seed Chicago Bulls.

While the level of play remains fully in summer league style, the competitiveness should ratchet up over the next few days. A vast majority of the players who comprise these rosters are looking for an NBA shot; the longer they're able to keep playing, the better chance they'll have.

With that in mind, here is a look at a roundup of the latest action from Las Vegas.

San Antonio Spurs def. Brooklyn Nets, 74-71

Kyle Anderson had 25 points and eight rebounds and knocked down two clutch free-throws with under a minute remaining to give San Antonio a 74-71 victory over the Nets.

Fouled on a shot attempt with 49.9 seconds remaining, Anderson hit both of his shots to put the Spurs up 72-71 and then Markel Brown missed a layup attempt that would have given Brooklyn the lead. Jonathan Simmons, who had 18 points, hit a driving layup on the Spurs' subsequent possession to finalize the score.

Anderson and Simmons were the only Spurs in double figures as the two sides played a slower paced contest. Brown had 18 points to lead Brooklyn while Rondae Hollis-Jefferson and Darius Adams each added 11. The Nets shot just 34.2 percent from the floor overall, including a 5-of-19 rate from beyond the arc.

Anderson, heading into his second season out of UCLA, has been one of the breakout stars of Summer League. He's scored no fewer than 19 points in any Vegas game, which came after another impressive performance in Utah Summer League. The Spurs sacrificed some of their depth to make free-agent splashes this summer, so Anderson's progress is promising.

Dallas Mavericks def. D-League Select, 104-88

Five Mavericks scored in double figures, led by Justin Anderson's 23, as the Mavericks kept their winning ways going with a 104-88 win over the D-League Select team.

Winless in pre-elimination play, Dallas has come through with two upsets in as many days. Dwight Powell and Maalik Wayns each added 22 points, the former adding nine rebounds and three assists in a solid all-around performance. Jeremy Tyler, who has been among the most impressive players in Vegas, turned in his third straight double-double with 15 points and 11 rebounds.

A former second-round pick who last played for the Knicks in 2014, Tyler played for Shanxi Zhongyu of the Chinese Basketball Association last season. After losing out on the DeAndre Jordan race, it's very possible the Mavericks invite Tyler to came for a low-cost solution at center.

Anderson, the first Mavericks first-round pick they have selected and retained since 2006, has slowly come into his own as a scorer in Vegas. He's knocked down eight threes over his last two games.

In a game where none of his teammates really stepped up to the plate, D-League Select's Justin Dentmon scored a game-high 31 points, knocking down six three-pointers and getting to the line nine times. Dentmon, a 29-year-old guard who has played a number of brief NBA stints, is looking for what would likely be his last NBA opportunity.

Matt Bouldin, who had 13 points and six rebounds, was the only other D-League select player in double figures. 

Golden State Warriors def. New York Knicks, 76-54

James Michael McAdoo had 16 points and nine rebounds as the Warriors ended the Knicks' surprising summer run with a 76-54 blowout.

Golden State held the Knicks to 21.7 percent shooting, including an abysmal seven-point second quarter. Chasson Randle (13 points), Kevon Looney (11 points, nine rebounds) and Matt Stainbrook (10 points) joined McAdoo in double figures for the Warriors.

McAdoo has been the offensive focal point in each of their elimination games, combining for 36 points and 18 rebounds. With David Lee sent to Boston, McAdoo might see a more expanded role next season as the second big off the bench. Looney, who inexplicably fell to No. 30 in the draft, now has three straight games in double figures. He won't contribute much next season, but it's a promising sign as Golden State tries building on the cheap.

Jerian Grant led all Knicks scorers with 14 points, adding three assists and three rebounds. The Notre Dame product was consistently solid throughout his Vegas stint, though his jumper consistency could use a little work. Kristaps Porzingis was in double figures again with 12 points, but he made just three of 10 shots and couldn't find his offensive rhythm. Nonetheless, Knicks fans have certainly warmed up a bit since June's draft after his promising two-way play.

The remainder of the roster didn't have much to write home about. Cleanthony Early had more fouls (five) than points (four), Thanasis Antetokounmpo missed all five of his shots and Ricky Ledo couldn't buy a bucket.

Phoenix Suns def. Milwaukee Bucks, 106-80

T.J. Warren scored a game-high 23 points, with four more Suns scoring in double figures, as Phoenix soared to a 106-80 win over Milwaukee.

Warren, whose role should expand in his second NBA season, knocked down nine of his 15 shot attempts and filled the stat sheet. The N.C. State product added three rebounds, four assists and three blocked shots to his fourth straight game in double digits; he hasn't shot less than 50 percent from the field yet.

Devin Booker had his second straight solid game, scoring 19 points and knocking down three shots from long distance. Archie Goodwin (18 points), Josh Harrellson (13 points) and Alex Len (12 points, nine rebounds) were also in double figures.

It's been a bit of a surprise to see Len get so much work in summer league as a third-year player, but perhaps he's sending a message to Tyson Chandler that he won't give up his starting gig lying down.

Milwaukee had four double-digit scorers led by 17 for first-round pick Rashad Vaughn. The UNLV product remains inconsistent with his shot-making and selection—he's made less than half of his shots in four of five games—but his aggressiveness portends well.

Sean Kilpatrick added 16 points, Kevin Jones went for 15 and seven rebounds and Jorge Gutierrez had 12 points and six assists. The Bucks, who sent a bare-bones roster to Vegas, are 1-4 overall. The Suns have lost only one game and continue to look like a threat for a championship run.

New Orleans Pelicans def. Washington Wizards, 97-81

John Locher/Associated Press

As he's done all tournament long, Seth Curry took the reins and led the New Orleans Pelicans to another Las Vegas Summer League victory and a quarterfinal showdown with the Warriors. 

In 33 minutes, Curry scored a game-high 26 points on 12-of-21 shooting despite missing four of his five attempts from beyond the arc. Since the Pelicans hit the Vegas hardwood on July 10, Curry has topped 20 points in every outing. 

According to NBA TV's Kristen Ledlow, the former Duke Blue Devil believes his play has spoken volumes:

"I think he's shown on this level right here he's a pretty elite player," Pelicans head coach Alvin Gentry said, according to ESPN.com's Tim MacMahon. 

Over his last four games, Curry is averaging 25.3 points for the bayou ballers.

Larry Drew II played confidently once again, chipping in 13 points (5-of-10 shooting) and five assists as five Pelicans players finished in double-figures.    

Washington Wizards first-round selection Kelly Oubre continued to struggle, shooting just 4-of-11 from the field a day after hitting three of his 11 attempts. The former Kansas Jayhawk finished with 10 points as Scott Machado led the way with 17 points for the second-straight contest.  

"Shifting him off the ball made it harder for Oubre to get engaged on the offensive end and it affected his scoring and rebounding," Jake Whitacre wrote over at Bullets Forever. "He didn't score and only took two shots in the first half after averaging 14.8 shots in his first four Summer League games."

Oubre will need to get used to playing off the ball as he transitions to life alongside established scorers like John Wall, Bradley Beal and Marcin Gortat. If Oubre can steadily improve as a spot-up shooter and continue to hound opposing wings with his length, size and athleticism, he should be able to make a tangible impact during his rookie season. 

Atlanta Hawks def. Denver Nuggets, 82-73

Just as they did throughout the 2014-15 season, the Atlanta Hawks used the three-point shot to slay a worthy adversary.

Over the course of their nine-point win against the Denver Nuggets, the Hawks outscored the opposition, 30-15, from beyond the arc. All five Atlanta starters finished in double-figures, led by 18 points from Brandon Ashley (7-of-13 shooting, 2-of-2 from three).

As the Boston Globe's Gary Washburn noted, Ashley's ability to quickly add a three-point stroke to his arsenal stands to enhance his pro prospects: 

And while the Hawks advanced to play the Mavericks in the quarterfinals, it was Nuggets point guard and No. 7 overall pick Emmanuel Mudiay who functioned as the center of attention.

Mudiay got the scoring started for Denver with a pretty finish on the break, as the NBA's official Twitter account documented:

However, it proved to be an up-and-down evening for the 2015 lottery pick. All told, Mudiay finished with eight points, seven turnovers, three rebounds and a single assist as Denver was outscored by a team-worst 18 points when he was on the floor.

That said, the Denver Post's Chris Dempsey was impressed by the 19-year-old's ability to read Atlanta's defense: 

Erick Green led the Nuggets with 17 points in 26 minutes off the bench, but it wasn't enough. Denver's offense floundered to the tune of 44 percent shooting from the field and 33 percent shooting from the free-throw line while committing 24 turnovers.   

Chicago Bulls def. Toronto Raptors, 84-80

Summer league drama!

The Chicago Bulls entered halftime down 13, but they used a 21-16 edge in the third quarter and 12-point advantage in the final frame to down the top-seeded Toronto Raptors and secure a quarterfinal showdown with the Suns.  

As the Bulls' Twitter account noted, second-year small forward Doug McDermott led Chicago's attack in the scoring column by shooting 11-of-25 from the field:

And even though McDermott was temporarily stymied by Drew Crawford at the rim, he didn't relent in his pursuit of transition buckets: 

Diante Garrett (11 points) was the only other Bulls player to join McDermott in double-figures, but that's all Chicago needed as Toronto's offense fell apart in the second half.

As a team, the Raptors shot just 39 percent from the field and 29 percent from three as mystery man Bruno Caboclo led the way with 15 points, four rebounds and two steals.

Second-round pick and UCLA product Norman Powell—who was recently signed by the Raptors—tied Caboclo with a team-high 15 points, marking the fourth-straight game in which he topped that mark. 

Boston Celtics def. Portland Trail Blazers, 91-85

The Boston Celtics survived a fourth-quarter collapse to lock up a meeting with the Spurs on Saturday, but the result came at a steep price.  

In the second quarter of Boston's win, point guard Marcus Smart injured his hand after he got tangled up with Portland Trail Blazers forward Noah Vonleh diving for a loose ball: 

According to the Celtics, Smart was officially diagnosed with dislocations to two fingers: 

The Boston Globe's Adam Himmelsbach provided another update on Smart's status after the game:

However, CSN New England's A. Sherrod Blakely passed along positive news regarding the long-term implications of Smart's injury:

The Celtics combined to outscore the Blazers, 45-31, over the second and third quarters, including a 34-10 run after Smart departed. Portland then used a fourth-quarter spurt to momentarily regain the lead before Terry Rozier scored nine points over the game's final 2:01 to secure the victory.  

Rozier finished with a team-high 19 points while Noah Vonleh put up 20 points and nine rebounds to lead the Blazers.

The 6'10'' Vonleh was particularly impressive from distance, as the Blazers' Twitter account revealed: 

The second-seeded Celtics should be favored to advance past the seventh-seeded Spurs, but with Smart already sidelined, Boston's focus should be on escaping that matchup unscathed.  

Follow Tyler Conway (@tylerconway22) on Twitter.