NBA Summer League 2016: Saturday Scores and Highlights from Las Vegas
NBA Summer League action resumed Saturday in Las Vegas with the eight remaining teams competing in the quarterfinals for a chance to come one step closer to securing the summer league title.
Big names such Devin Booker and Emmanuel Mudiay were scheduled to hit the court, as were a number of lesser-known players who were looking to impress their team or another team across the league enough to earn a regular-season roster spot.
Here is a rundown of Saturday's contests, along with a closer look at which players rose to the occasion in Sin City.
Saturday's Summer League Results
| 4 p.m. | Minnesota Timberwolves | Toronto Raptors | 81-79, MIN |
| 6 p.m. | Phoenix Suns | Denver Nuggets | 82-81 (OT), PHX |
| 8 p.m. | Washington Wizards | Chicago Bulls | 88-85, CHI |
| 10 p.m. | Cleveland Cavaliers | Brooklyn Nets | 91-83, CLE |
Minnesota Timberwolves 81, Toronto Raptors 79
Despite being without rookie first-round pick Kris Dunn due to a concussion, the Minnesota Timberwolves handed the Toronto Raptors their first loss and eliminated them from the Las Vegas Summer League with a dramatic 81-79 win.
The Raptors tied the game at 79-79 with 1.1 seconds left by virtue of a clutch three-pointer from 2015 second-round pick Norman Powell, but T'Wolves guard Tyus Jones was fouled with 0.4 seconds remaining in regulation and sank both free throws to clinch the win.
Jones was part of a Minnesota triumvirate that led the team to victory, as he scored 21 points to go along with eight assists, three rebounds and three steals. Xavier Silas led all scorers with 22 points, including five three-pointers, and big man Adreian Payne chipped in 19 points and 10 rebounds.
Minnesota jumped out to a 20-15 lead after the first quarter of play, but Toronto completely shifted the momentum in the second by outscoring the T'Wolves 27-14. That eight-point advantage seemed safe after a stalemate in the third, but the Timberwolves came to life in the fourth and stole the victory, as the No. 24 seed toppled the top seed in Las Vegas.
Despite the disappointing loss, there were some bright spots for Toronto, as Powell paced the team in scoring with 17 points.
Rookie first-rounder Jakob Poeltl added six points and seven rebounds, while 2015 first-round selection and Poeltl's former Utah teammate Delon Wright chipped in seven points, eight rebounds and three assists in the losing effort as well.
While Poeltl's production was modest Saturday, he enjoyed some impressive moments, including springing free off a screen for an easy layup, as seen in this Vine courtesy of the Raptors' Twitter account:
Wright also looked good and showed flashes of being a potentially great floor general in the near future:
Along with the Raptors' highly regarded young players, former Wichita State point guard Fred VanVleet made a strong case for roster spot consideration with his performance.
The two-time Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year scored nine points, dished out three assists and made three steals in just over 19 minutes of play, and Toronto was plus-10 when he was on the floor.
Minnesota was a heavy underdog, especially without Dunn, but it continued to be the best Cinderella story of the summer league thus far, as it previously took down the defending champion San Antonio Spurs.
Both Silas and Payne proved worthy of a long look by the Timberwolves, and although Jones is often overshadowed by Dunn and Ricky Rubio, his showing and ability to come through when it counted suggests he may have a bright NBA future as well.
Phoenix Suns 82, Denver Nuggets 81 (OT)
After combining to form arguably the country's best backcourt at the University of Kentucky last season, rookies Tyler Ulis and Jamal Murray provided the thrills down the stretch of Saturday's contest on opposing teams.
Murray put Denver up by two points on a layup with only 1.8 seconds left in overtime, setting the stage for Ulis to drill a buzzer-beating three and give Phoenix the victory.
The NBA's official Twitter account had the footage of Ulis' game-winning triple, which came from way downtown:
"He's a stud. He never quits," said Phoenix summer coach Nate Bjorkgren of Ulis after the game, per the Suns' official Twitter feed.
Troy Williams had a team-high 22 points to pace Phoenix, while Ulis had 19. Although he shot only 7-of-19 from the field, Ulis made the play that mattered most.
Another Suns rookie, lottery pick Dragan Bender, struggled in what was a rather ugly contest until the captivating conclusion. Bender missed nine of 12 shots from the field and finished with nine points.
On a 13-of-26 shooting performance, Murray led all scorers with 29 points. His high usage rate is something to monitor as the regular season approaches and he tries to mesh with Mudiay in the Nuggets' hopeful guard tandem of the future.
Chicago Bulls 88, Washington Wizards 85
Keeping with the trend of one-possession games from Saturday's action, Chicago held off Washington to improve to a perfect 5-0 in summer league play.
Bulls rookie first-round pick Denzel Valentine had 14 points, 10 rebounds and three assists, and second-year pro Bobby Portis led the victorious squad with 17 points to go with nine boards.
Although Chicago point guard Jerian Grant was just 3-of-14 shooting, he dished out eight assists to zero turnovers. Having arrived in the Windy City as part of the Derrick Rose trade, Grant still leaves something to be desired with his jumper, but he's shown a knack creating offense for his teammates.
It was a proficient distributing contest for both sides, as the Bulls committed only five turnovers to the Wizards' six.
Washington guard Jarell Eddie hit five three-pointers on seven such attempts en route to 22 points. Nate Wolters had a fine all-around game with 16 points, five rebounds and seven assists, but it ultimately wasn't enough for the Wizards to prevail.
As the Vegas tournament's second seed, the Bulls are living up to expectations as they advance to the semifinals, where they'll take on the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Chicago will be a heavy favorite to advance to the finale against Minnesota or Phoenix. The Bulls are the only unbeaten team remaining and are evidently building chemistry based on their stellar results.
Cleveland Cavaliers 91, Brooklyn Nets 83 (OT)
Despite surrendering a nine-point first-quarter lead entering halftime at 41 apiece, the Cavs managed to grind through a highly competitive second half and dominated the extra period by a score of 8-0.
Jordan McRae, an NBA D-League All-Star this past season, was the chief catalyst for Cleveland with 25 points. He made most of his living at the charity stripe, converting nine of 10 free throws to offset a 7-of-24 shooting night.
Nets guard Sean Kilpatrick matched McRae's point total as the game's co-lead scorer but missed eight of nine three-point attempts and committed seven turnovers. The Cavs shot only 38 percent, and Brooklyn was even worse at 36.1 percent overall.
Despite having a star-studded pro roster as reigning NBA champions, Cleveland has gone quite far in the summer league and has to be pleased with its assemblage of young talent.
Although Kilpatrick didn't have his best showing Saturday, he's a potential building block on a Nets roster that has room for a rather unheralded player to make an impact.
Kilpatrick shined in the summer last year, which set the stage for his shot in Brooklyn. He had as many as 26 points in a single game during the 2015-16 campaign, leading the Nets to sign him to a contract late last season that's guaranteed for 2016-17.
The Cavs will be hard-pressed to keep their summer run going against the perfect Bulls, but they've done enough to get to this point, and the pressure will be on Chicago to keep its unblemished record intact.
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