NBA Summer League Championship 2015: Highlights from Suns vs. Spurs

The San Antonio Spurs didn't need Tim Duncan or any of the franchise's other reliable veterans to reel in a championship Monday. 

No, the Spurs' 2015 NBA Summer League championship points toward the future for the organization, as the Las Vegas MVP Kyle Anderson and others led the team against a deep, three-headed monster of a Phoenix Suns squad to claim the title.

Not only was it a bright showcase for the franchise's youth, but for the Association as a whole—Spurs head coach Becky Hammon was the first woman to ever coach an NBA Summer League team.

The Spurs took to Twitter to celebrate:

After, Hammon spoke with the media about her team's triumph, as captured by the Associated Press (via ESPN.com). 

"It was a grind," Hammon said. "They've been together for 17 days. They really started to jell the last two or three games. They listened, and they played really hard for me. I just really appreciate their attentiveness and alertness. They were tired, but they fought through."

Grind indeed. 

The Spurs took a 2-0 lead but then struggled to keep up with the Suns. Rookie Devin Booker scored just 10 points, but other elements of the elite attack picked up the slack, as T.J. Warren posted 17 points, Archie Goodwin added 12 and Mike James exploded for 32.

James was perhaps the most interesting player of the night thanks to his ability to keep defenders reeling and knock down shots.

The Suns captured just one instance of his dominance:

Sam Vecenie of CBSSports.com provided some context about the 2012 undrafted free agent:

As the frames progressed, though, the Spurs were able to persevere.

It helps the Spurs trotted out Anderson after his averages of 22 points, 5.8 rebounds and 1.3 steals helped him win the Summer League MVP award.

Anderson lived up to the hardware with 15 points, seven rebounds and four assists and a pair of pretty passes. One behind-the-back move froze defenders long enough to take the lead before halftime:

The MVP also proved himself a beast in transition, a part of the game most had considered a strength of the Suns, not Spurs:

Even the MVP had the show stolen from him, though, as teammate Jonathan Simmons poured in 23 points on 7-of-14 shooting from the field.

Also a 2012 undrafted player, Simmons saved his highest point tally in Las Vegas for when it mattered most and reeled in the game's MVP award as a result.

Let's just say Simmons' high-flying ways helped win him the award too. EA Sports NBA Live captures just one of his eye-popping moments: 

It's not hard to see why the Suns experienced some troubles keeping up Monday after encountering a team with as much offensive ability as their own.

Either way, both the Suns and Spurs seem to have a great future. A win for the Suns would have been nice, but it's hard to stress too much over an exhibition title defeat when it served the greater purpose of providing young guys experience.

The final game of the bracket was sweeter for the Spurs, as one of the league's deepest teams seems to have a few more pieces to utilize on the bench and into the future.

As for the Association, its strong Western Conference appears stronger than ever. To top it all off, Hammon and her team's triumph bodes well for the future of the sport.

All stats and info via ESPN.com unless otherwise specified.