Orlando Summer League 2016: Wednesday Scores, Stats, Highlights and Reaction
The Orlando Summer League action rolled on Wednesday with three more games. Day 5 featured the New York Knicks taking on the Orlando Magic (White), the Dallas Mavericks against the Charlotte Hornets and the Indiana Pacers battling the Oklahoma City Thunder.
All of those teams are chasing the Miami Heat and Detroit Pistons, which entered the day atop the standings with 3-0 records. Those two squads will face off during Thursday's play with the hope of earning a berth in the championship game Friday.
For now, let's check out all of the results from Wednesday's games along with a recap of the action. The information will be updated after each contest through the end of play.
Wednesday's Scores
| 15 | Orlando Magic (White) d. New York Knicks | 95-90 |
| 16 | Dallas Mavericks d. Charlotte Hornets | 84-81 |
| 17 | OKC Thunder d. Indiana Pacers | 89-71 |
Orlando Magic (White) 95, New York Knicks 90
The host team's White squad joined the Heat and Pistons at 3-0 thanks to a strong fourth quarter after the Knicks had cut the lead to four entering the final period. New York fell to 1-3 with the loss.
Arinze Onuaku led the charge for Orlando with 16 points, 13 rebounds and two blocks in 25 minutes. Treveon Graham and Justin Dentmon also had strong outings for the undefeated side as they chipped in 19 and 18 points, respectively.
Meanwhile, Ron Baker shone for the Knicks. He tallied 22 points, nine rebounds, five assists and five steals while knocking down four three-pointers. Devin Booker added 12 points and eight boards, and Chasson Randle had 17 points.
Baker was all over the court in the Knicks' losing effort. The Wichita State product, who averaged 13.2 points across four years with the Shockers, showcased his ability to attack the rim and finish despite seeing a freight train coming in his direction, as NBA TV highlighted:
NBA TV also put his distribution ability on display:
On the flip side, Graham is making quite an impression for the Magic. The former VCU standout, who spent last season in the NBA Development League, has now reached double figures in scoring in all three games thanks to a nice touch around the rim.
Orlando provided one of his several promising moments from Wednesday's game:
Dentmon is also trying to prove himself as a useful offensive weapon. He made six of his 10 attempts in the victory, including going two of four from long range. He's now shooting 41.6 percent from three in the event.
Afterward, he spoke with NBA TV about his play and the team's success:
"Justin Dentmon dropped 18 points en route to a Orlando White victory. He stopped by to speak with the NBA TV crew. https://t.co/QTqIffwTtq
— NBA TV (@NBATV) July 6, 2016"
Looking ahead, Orlando's White squad now has an opportunity to achieve an unexpected spot in the title game if it can take care of business against the Los Angeles Clippers on Thursday. The Clippers are winless through three contests.
The Knicks didn't feature a particularly strong group in the event, so the lack of success shouldn't come as a major surprise. The tournament was more about trying to find a few potential assets. At the least, Baker has likely earned himself an extended look.
Dallas Mavericks 84, Charlotte Hornets 81
The Mavericks picked up their first win of the event after a 30-point outburst in the fourth quarter to edge the Hornets. Charlotte drops to 2-2 after the narrow defeat.
Darius Adams, who scored just 15 points in the first two games combined, exploded for 25 points on nine of 16 shooting to lead the Mavs. Vander Blue added 16 points and seven rebounds while Cory Jefferson had nine points and eight board in the win.
All five of the Hornets' starters reached double-figure scoring. Mike Tobey put together the best all-around performance with 16 points, 14 rebounds, three blocks and two steals. The bench contributed just 12 points in the loss, though.
It wasn't a contest with a ton of highlight-reel plays. Former UCLA forward Tyler Honeycutt did make his presence felt on the defensive end in the early going, as the Mavericks spotlighted:
The Mavs will look to build off today's strong outing as they return to the floor Thursday to wrap up the positioning phase against the Magic's Blue team. That squad hasn't enjoyed nearly as much success as Orlando's White squad, going 0-3 so far.
Charlotte ends this round of the tournament with a 2-2 record. It won't be known who the Hornets play in their final game until tomorrow, but the front office will be happy to get another look at Tobey and Aaron Harrison, who are both enjoying solid Summer League efforts so far.
Oklahoma City Thunder 89, Indiana Pacers 71
The Thunder cruised to victory over the Pacers behind the contributions of six double-figure scorers, including point guard Cameron Payne who orchestrated the dominant effort with 19 points, six assists and three steals.
Payne also shot 7-of-15 from the field and 2-of-4 from beyond the arc. His most impressive finish of the day came in transition as the Thunder created distance down the stretch, as NBA TV documented on Twitter:
The 2015 first-round pick also flashed some strong court vision when he found big man Mitch McGary on a long-distance lob connection:
And as Bleacher Report's Jonathan Wasserman noted, Payne will need to flash improvement during his second pro season now that Oklahoma City is looking for new sources of offense:
Elsewhere, McGary put forth a solid showing with 14 points and a pair of boards while shooting 6-of-11 from the floor.
The Pacers, meanwhile, were led by 12-point efforts from Jaron Johnson and journeyman Glenn Robinson III. Joseph Young, a 2015 second-round draft pick, was also strong with 10 points and four dimes in just over 20 minutes of action.
Both the Pacers and Thunder will be off Thursday before Orlando Summer League action concludes Friday with a full slate of games that starts at 8 a.m. ET.
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