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Deandre Ayton Leads Suns Past Marvin Bagley III, Kings in Summer League
July 8, 2018
It did not take long for the top two picks in the 2018 NBA draft to go head-to-head in the pros, as Deandre Ayton and Marvin Bagley III faced off in the 2018 NBA Summer League in Las Vegas on Saturday.
Neither team was able to get much going on offense in a 71-63 Phoenix Suns victory over the Sacramento Kings, but both Ayton and Bagley were able to show what made them the top prospects in the class.
Before tipoff, the two exchanged pleasantries:
And then it was on.
Ayton was the star of the day, recording his first double-double (21 points and 12 rebounds) as a pro. And he did so while shooting 8-of-11 from the floor.
Of course, being 7'1" and 250 pounds makes Ayton a force at the rim.
While the No. 1 overall pick was balling out for the other team, Bagley showed that he can keep up. He managed to notch a few highlights of his own—including one against Ayton:
The second overall pick finished with 15 points, seven rebounds, two assists, one block and one steal.
This is just the first of what should be many battles between Ayton and Bagley as pros. While the stakes will be higher in the future, this summer league matchup gave fans an offseason treat.