NBA Summer League 2018: Scores and Highlights from Sunday's Las Vegas Results

The 2018 NBA Summer League isn't going to move the needle for championship-contending clubs or established veterans who have earned much-needed offseason rest, but it represents an opportunity for young playmakers on rebuilding teams to accumulate experience and jump-start their professional careers and expectations.

A number of headlining rookies were among those slated for action on a crowded Sunday schedule in Las Vegas that featured 10 games.

Below is a recap of the action.

Results

Minnesota Timberwolves 103, Toronto Raptors 92

San Antonio Spurs 95, Washington Wizards 90

Charlotte Hornets 94, Miami Heat 90

Portland Trail Blazers 85, Atlanta Hawks 68

Dallas Mavericks 81, Milwaukee Bucks 78

Houston Rockets 87, Golden State Warriors 81

Utah Jazz 90, New York Knicks 85

Orlando Magic 86, Memphis Grizzlies 56

Los Angeles Clippers 88, Sacramento Kings 78

Los Angeles Lakers 69, Chicago Bulls 60

Sunday Recap

Keita Bates-Diop Providing First-Round Talent at Second-Round Value

The Minnesota Timberwolves handled the Toronto Raptors in a 103-92 victory, and Ohio State product Keita Bates-Diop stole the show with 24 points, 11 rebounds, two blocks and a steal.

The reigning Big Ten Player of the Year looked like a lottery pick despite the fact Minnesota stole him with the 48th overall selection in the 2018 draft, demonstrating the full display of skills many thought would convince a team to take a chance on him much earlier.

His length on the defensive side at 6'9" resulted in multiple blocks, a steal and a number of contested Toronto jumpers, which came as no surprise to Buckeyes fans who watched him consistently defend the opponent's best player while also anchoring the offense at the collegiate level.

Bates-Diop also demonstrated he can stretch the floor as a matchup problem with three triples and appears to be someone Minnesota can rely on attacking the basket given his 79.4 percent clip from the charity stripe in his final college season and 7-of-8 mark Sunday.

Kyle Ratke of NBA.com pointed out "many were wondering how or why" he dropped so low in the draft and acknowledged "that curiosity heightened on Sunday afternoon" following this performance.

Tim Bontemps of the Washington Post was among those who expected Bates-Diop to be drafted sooner:

If he continues to play like he did Sunday, Minnesota will have a young building block moving forward regardless of where he was picked in the draft.

Troy Brown Jr.'s Impressive Second Half Promising Sign for Wizards

The San Antonio Spurs defeated the Washington Wizards 95-90 in a matchup highlighted by two top-20 picks—Troy Brown Jr. and Lonnie Walker IV.

Brown, who was the 15th overall pick out of Oregon, lost the game but won the individual showdown against Walker, who was the 18th overall pick out of Miami.

With Tony Parker gone and Kawhi Leonard's future quite cloudy in San Antonio, the idea of rebuilding and looking to the future in a loaded Western Conference has merit for the Spurs. While Walker didn't stuff the stat sheet as much as Brown, he still looked like someone who can help San Antonio do just that with 14 points, five rebounds, three steals and two assists.

It was Brown's bounce-back ability and efficiency that proved the difference in the comparison, though, considering he shot 8-of-17 from the field for 21 points compared to Walker's 5-of-13 mark. Brown also recorded 12 rebounds, three steals and two assists.

Brown didn't grow discouraged despite early struggles and impacted the game in ways beyond his shooting by crashing the boards, as Candace Buckner of the Washington Post pointed out:

No matter how talented any rookie is, he is surely going to struggle at some point within a game or season. Brown's resilience during some of his first professional experiences was a welcome sign for Wizards fans looking for him to contribute in the rotation right away.

He appeared to be someone who can serve as a secondary scorer running alongside the John Wall and Bradley Beal backcourt while still bolstering the defense by grabbing boards and contesting shots.

Devonte' Graham Playing Like a Second-Round Steal

The Charlotte Hornets beat the Miami Heat 94-90 on Sunday thanks in large part to 22 points each from Willy Hernangomez and Dwayne Bacon, but it was guard Devonte' Graham who stood out as a potential second-round steal.

The Kansas product finished with 12 points, seven assists and critical free throws and looked the part of a contributor after the Hornets traded for his rights when the Atlanta Hawks selected him with the 34th overall pick.

While Graham struggled with his shot at 3-of-10 from the field and 0-of-3 from deep, one can assume the shooting will come around considering he connected on 40.9 percent of his attempts from three-point range during a collegiate career that featured a Big 12 Player of the Year and consensus All-American honors.

The best way for Graham to earn playing time in the Hornets' rotation is appearing comfortable with the ball in his hands in critical moments and as a facilitator, which he did Sunday. His free throws extended the lead from one to three with five seconds left and two to four with two seconds remaining, following the script of someone who was frequently featured in the clutch at Kansas.

Graham's passes were there Sunday as well, especially in transition:

It is not difficult to envision Graham sparking the Charlotte offense as a rookie off the bench with those types of dishes on the break, which will speed up a game and prevent opposing defenses from getting set.

Hawks Right to Be Cautious with Young Stars

The Portland Trail Blazers cruised past the Atlanta Hawks 85-68 on Sunday behind a game-high 23 points from Jake Layman.

However, the result took a backseat to Atlanta Hawks rookie Trae Young, who finished with zero points and three assists in only nine minutes because of an injury. Kevin Pelton of ESPN.com reported the Oklahoma product exited with a right quad contusion.

What's more, Atlanta head coach Lloyd Pierce said youngster John Collins is about to be done for the summer after posting 18 points and nine rebounds:

Young and Collins are two of the most important building blocks for the Hawks, considering the former was the No. 5 overall pick of this year's draft and the latter was the No. 19 pick in last year's draft.

Collins was one of the few bright spots in 2017-18 with averages of 10.5 points and 7.3 rebounds per game as a rookie, and there is no need for him to play too many minutes in summer league after such a performance.

Atlanta is in full-on rebuild mode after going 24-58 last season, and there is no reason to push the youngsters too hard at this stage. Caution and long-term planning are far more important than July wins for the Hawks, and using caution with Young's setback—even if it is minor—and resting Collins is a smart approach.

Johnathan Motley Making a Push for Playing Time

The Dallas Mavericks edged out the Milwaukee Bucks in an 81-78 victory Sunday, although the contest was missing some rookie star power.

Dallas' Luka Doncic and Milwaukee's Donte DiVincenzo figure to be two of the most-watched rookies this season, considering the former won the Euroleague MVP and the latter led Villanova to the national championship with a brilliant performance in the NCAA tournament, but neither took the court Sunday.

Instead, it was Johnathan Motley who led all scorers with 20 points and seven rebounds off the bench for Dallas.

Motley was an impressive 8-of-10 from the field and played like someone who can compete for a role in the Mavericks' rotation this season, especially if it is another rebuilding one after missing the playoffs in 2017-18.

The Baylor product appeared in just 11 games last season and averaged 8.7 points and 4.5 rebounds a night but spent the majority of the campaign in the G League. He is the ideal candidate to garner additional seasoning and turn heads in the summer without much NBA experience on his resume.

He took an important step Sunday.

Trevon Duval Fails to Build on First Impression

The intensity was far from the same, but the Houston Rockets defeated the Golden State Warriors 87-81 in a Western Conference Finals rematch Sunday.

While RJ Hunter led the team with 24 points, the performance of Duke product Trevon Duval stood out for all the wrong reasons after he impressed with 20 points on 7-of-10 shooting from the field in his summer league debut.

It appeared as if the Rockets uncovered a hidden gem as an undrafted free agent after that showing against the Indiana Pacers, but he failed to build on his individual momentum with just one point on an ugly 0-of-8 shooting from the field Sunday.

It is far too soon to write off Duval's first game as a fluke, but the undrafted prospect appeared outmatched against the Warriors.

Talent hasn't been a question for Duval since he was a 5-star prospect as a recruit, per 247Sports' composite rankings, but he didn't quite live up to the hype with averages of 10.3 points and 5.6 assists per game during his one season at Duke. Parth Upadhyaya of the Houston Chronicle noted he was the first one-and-done Blue Devils player to go undrafted.

Duval is fighting for a spot in a difficult backcourt to crack, considering James Harden and Chris Paul are going to receive the lion's share of the minutes during the regular season, and Sunday's performance did not impress.

He will need far more outings like the one he turned in against Indiana to become an important part of Houston's rotation.

Kevin Knox Hype Continues to Grow After Another Strong Outing

The Utah Jazz played without Grayson Allen on Sunday but still managed a 90-85 victory over the New York Knicks thanks to 20 points and eight rebounds from Georges Niang.

All eyes were on New York rookie Kevin Knox, though, who already dazzled in summer league with 22 points in a contest against the Atlanta Hawks. He put on a show again Sunday with 19 points, five rebounds, two assists and two steals, frequently serving as a go-to scorer in the offense.

He even unleashed a head-turning slam and behind-the-back pass:

It is easy to forget Knox is only 18 years old with just one year of collegiate experience while watching him dominate stretches of games in Las Vegas. He appears to have a natural command when the ball is in his hands, doesn't hesitate to attack the basket off the bounce and has the frame to serve as a matchup problem if he develops his outside shot.

The rebuilding Knicks need star power surrounding Kristaps Porzingis if they are eventually going to contend in the Eastern Conference down the line, and Knox's early showings indicate he could fit the bill.

What's more, he figures to have plenty of opportunities early in the regular season with Porzingis still bouncing back from a torn ACL. Those chances and the accelerated learning curve that will come with them will serve New York well down the line as Knox looks to become another go-to option in the rotation.

Orlando's Frontcourt Defense Provides Hope for Magic Fans

The Orlando Magic steamrolled the Memphis Grizzlies on Sunday during their 86-56 victory, and the young playmakers in the frontcourt provided reason for optimism with their defense.

Jonathan Isaac played just 19.8 minutes a night in the 27 games he appeared in as a rookie but still averaged 1.1 blocks per contest. His wingspan and spring in front of the rim were on full display Sunday with five blocks to go with seven rebounds, as he flashed some of the potential that inspired Orlando to select him with the No. 6 pick in last year's draft.

Mohamed Bamba—this year's No. 6 pick—finished with 11 points, five rebounds and just one block against the Grizzlies, but the swats figure to come after he averaged 3.7 of them a night in his one collegiate season with the Texas Longhorns.

The combination can anchor the frontcourt defense while Nikola Vucevic and Aaron Gordon provide the offense this season in a talented rotation.

This is still a team that last made the playoffs in 2011-12 and won a mere 25 games last season, so it won't be a realistic playoff contender by any stretch even with Isaac and Bamba in front of the rim. Still, they provide reason for hope moving forward as Orlando looks to build the defense from the inside out.

Promising Future of Clippers Backcourt on Full Display

The Los Angeles Clippers prevailed over the Sacramento Kings 88-78 in an in-state battle Sunday, overcoming 28 points from Justin Jackson in the victory.

Jackson carried Sacramento's offense with Marvin Bagley III sidelined, but it wasn't enough to match the electric backcourt duo of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Sindarius Thornwell. Gilgeous-Alexander tallied 21 points, eight rebounds, three steals and two assists, while Thornwell added 22 points, six rebounds and four assists behind 3-of-6 shooting from deep.

Gilgeous-Alexander figures to be the better prospect than Thornwell moving forward, considering the Kentucky product was the No. 11 pick in the 2018 draft and has already displayed an ability to attack the lane and facilitate in summer league, but it isn't difficult to envision Thornwell hitting three-pointers alongside him in the future.

Thornwell averaged just 3.9 points per game as a rookie but took advantage of open looks by connecting on 37.7 percent of his triples and is still just 23 years old.

It wasn't long ago Chris Paul spearheaded everything the Clippers did from the backcourt with his playmaking abilities. While it is far too early to put those types of expectations on Gilgeous-Alexander's shoulders at this stage of his career, early summer league action indicates Los Angeles may have found its facilitator of the future.

Josh Hart Playing His Way into Pivotal Role on New-Look Lakers

The Los Angeles Lakers outlasted the Chicago Bulls 69-60 in the final game on Sunday's slate behind a game-high 19 points from Josh Hart.

While Brandon Ingram, Lonzo Ball and Kyle Kuzma are often the first three brought up when discussing the Lakers' young pieces, Hart proved in the victory over the Bulls why he will be a valuable piece this season by drilling four of seven three-pointers from the wing.

Hart was a first-round pick in 2017 after helping lead the Villanova Wildcats to a national title during his collegiate career and worked his way into the rotation as a rookie, appearing in 63 games and starting 23. He connected on 39.6 percent of his triples last season, something that will be all the more important in Los Angeles with LeBron James drawing additional defensive attention.

There will be open looks that present themselves, and James is one of the best players in NBA history when it comes to finding his teammates with the right pass when they are in the clear.

If Hart knocks them down and plays like he did Sunday, he will become an important part of Los Angeles' playoff push in 2018-19.