NBA Summer League 2016: Scores and Highlights from Thursday's Las Vegas Results
Spots in the quarterfinals at the NBA's Las Vegas Summer League were up for grabs Thursday, with eight games on tap and 16 teams looking to advance in the tournament.
Below, we'll break down the day's action and top highlights from every game on the schedule.
Washington Wizards def. Atlanta Hawks, 71-60
Led by a monster game from Kelly Oubre Jr., the Washington Wizards advanced to the quarterfinals with a 71-60 victory over the Atlanta Hawks.
Oubre led all scorers with 22 points and added six rebounds, while Danuel House (15 points, three steals) and Jarell Eddie (11 points, six rebounds) also posted nice stat lines for the Wizards.
Oubre put the nail in Atlanta's coffin with this three-pointer in the fourth quarter, via the Wizards:
After the contest, he spoke to NBA TV about his performance:
Sheldon McClellan had one of the game's best highlights, meanwhile, finishing a Wizards fast break with this slam, via the team's official Twitter account:
Atlanta received strong showings from all five of its starters, but it wasn't enough to get past Washington. Brandon Ashley led the way with 12 points, while Taurean Prince (10 points, seven rebounds, four steals) and DeAndreBembry (nine points, six rebounds, four assists, three steals) had well-rounded performances in the loss.
Bembry, a rookie from Saint Joseph's, also had one of the best finishes of the day, as NBA TV showed:
The Wizards will face the winner of Thursday's matchup between the Dallas Mavericks and Chicago Bulls on Saturday, while the Hawks will head to Friday's consolation round.
Minnesota Timberwolves def. Memphis Grizzlies, 89-85
No Kris Dunn?
No problem for the Minnesota Timberwolves, as they beat the Memphis Grizzlies, 89-85, behind 26 points and 10 assists from Tyus Jones.
The point guard was absolutely epic for the Timberwolves and had the following to say after the game, per NBA Summer League:
Coty Clarke (15 points, seven rebounds) and Devin Thomas (six points, 10 rebounds, three steals) also had solid games for Minnesota.
Levi Randolph did all he could to lead Memphis to a victory, meanwhile, posting 26 points and four steals. Andrew Harrison chipped in 16 points and four steals.
Rookie Wade Baldwin IV had just six points, a disappointing performance, though he did have arguably the best finish of the game, per the Grizzlies:
The Timberwolves now await the winner of the Golden State Warriors and Toronto Raptors.
Phoenix Suns def. Miami Heat, 77-74
Tyler Ulis put on a show and the Phoenix Suns moved into the quarterfinals, defeating the Miami Heat, 77-74.
The rookie from Kentucky went off for 20 points and eight assists, showing off his ridiculous handling along the way, including this nifty crossover, per NBA TV:
He also showed off a dangerous pull-up game:
And he can get to the basket, too:
Troy Williams (15 points, eight rebounds) and Kyle Kuric (15 points) also played well on the offensive end, while exciting rookie prospect Dragan Bender had a well-rounded showing, scoring 10 points and nine rebounds.
Victor Rudd led the way for the Heat, notching 24 points, while Damion Lee added 16 points and Briante Weber contributed 14 points, seven rebounds and three assists.
On Friday, the Suns will face the winner of the Utah Jazz and Denver Nuggets.
Brooklyn Nets def. Philadelphia 76ers, 87-84
Brandon Paul had a look at a game-tying three-pointer with a second remaining, but his attempt went begging to give the Brooklyn Nets an 87-84 victory Thursday over the Philadelphia 76ers.
Ben Simmons missed his second straight game as the team opted to rest him again. Philadelphia didn't appear to miss him all that much, though.
Paul finished as one of four Sixers starters to score in double figures and led the team with 18 points. He also recorded two rebounds and six steals. Richaun Holmes had a nice game as well, nearly posting a double-double (12 points, eight rebounds).
The 76ers didn't have an answer for Sean Kilpatrick, who scored a game-high 24 points to go along with eight rebounds and four assists. The NBA Summer League shared one of his more impressive shots on the night:
Rondae Hollis-Jefferson and Chris McCullough each chipped in 13 points, with the latter completing a double-double by grabbing 10 rebounds.
Denver Nuggets def. Utah Jazz, 80-60
The Nuggets cruised past the Jazz on Thursday night, picking up an 80-60 victory.
Denver was clinging to a 37-33 halftime lead but then broke the game open in the third quarter. The Nuggets outscored the Jazz 27-12 over the 10-minute period and sealed the win in the fourth.
Jamal Murray offered a glimpse of what Nuggets fans can expect in his rookie season, scoring 20 points on 7-of-13 shooting, including 3-of-6 from beyond the arc. More so than Murray's offense, though, his work on the defensive end stood out to The Cauldron's Nate Duncan:
Jimmer Fredette added 12 points, while Denver's bench chipped in with 27 of the team's 80 points.
Shaquielle McKissic, Mike Tobey and Dionte Christmas were the only Jazz players to score in double figures. They each scored 10 points.
Chicago Bulls def. Dallas Mavericks, 86-73
Four different Chicago Bulls starters scored in double figures as the team picked up an 86-73 win over the Dallas Mavericks on Thursday.
Bobby Portis continued to look like one of the best players in the Vegas summer league, registering 19 points, eight rebounds, two assists and three steals. He also missed just four of his 13 field-goal attempts.
Having watched Portis, CSN Chicago's Vincent Goodwill believes he'll be a great complement for new point guard Rajon Rondo:
The backcourt duo of Denzel Valentine and Jerian Grant also combined for 24 points and 10 assists. Cristiano Felicio had a nice night as well, collecting 15 points and eight rebounds.
Justin Anderson led the Mavericks with 17 points, but he'll want to move on quickly from Thursday night. He shot just 4-of-13 from the field, including 3-of-10 from three-point range. He also turned the ball over three times.
Toronto Raptors def. Golden State Warriors, 75-69
Patrick McCaw's 28 points weren't enough to get the Warriors past the Raptors on Thursday, with Toronto picking up a 75-69 win.
Ognjen Kuzmic (13 points, nine rebounds) and Royce O’Neale (six points, 14 rebounds) both had nice games for the Warriors, but Golden State couldn't match the Raptors' balanced attack.
Norman Powell's 17 points led the team, while Drew Crawford came off the bench to score 13 points and grab five rebounds. Delon Wright also filled up the stat sheet with 11 points, five rebounds, four assists and a steal.
NBA TV's Jared Greenberg interviewed Powell after the game, via NBA TV:
Free-throw shooting played a significant role in the result. The Warriors attempted 12 foul shots, making nine. The Raptors, on the other hand, went to the charity stripe 40 times, connecting on 30 attempts. Committing 25 team fouls is rarely a strategy that leads to success.
Cleveland Cavaliers def. Los Angeles Lakers, 88-80
Jordan McRae and Kay Felder did the heavy lifting as the Cleveland Cavaliers pulled away late from the Los Angeles Lakers en route to an 88-80 win.
The two combined for over half (56) of Cleveland's offense. McRae led all scorers with 36 points on 12-of-22 shooting, while Felder chipped in with 20 points on 9-of-19 shooting. Cory Jefferson was the next-highest Cavaliers player in terms of scoring (seven points), illustrating how reliant on McRae and Felder they were. McRae also finished one rebound short of a double-double.
Brandon Ingram (12 points) and Larry Nance Jr. (12 points, 10 rebounds) both played well in a losing effort. D'Angelo Russell wasn't very efficient (7-of-20 shooting, 2-of-8 beyond the arc) but scored a team-high 20 points.
Nance left the game carrying what could be a serious injury, though. The second-year power forward landed awkwardly on his wrist during a drive. Lakers sideline reporter Mike Trudell reported Nance suffered a fracture in his right hand, and he'll undergo further evaluation Friday.
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