NBA Summer League 2019: Scores and Highlights from Monday's Las Vegas Results
With the frenzy of NBA free agency beginning to dissipate, fans still have the summer league to scratch their basketball itch.
On Monday, another full slate of games will feature some of the league's brightest young prospects along with players fighting for roster spots, two-way contracts or a chance to make their name in the G League. We'll break down all of the day's scores and highlights below.
New Orleans Pelicans def. Chicago Bulls, 109-72
The New Orleans Pelicans had no trouble with the Chicago Bulls in Monday’s blowout win and built a 22-point halftime lead before putting things on cruise control the rest of the way.
While Zion Williamson was sidelined with injury, first-round picks Nickeil Alexander-Walker (23 points, eight assists, three steals, two blocks and two rebounds) and Jaxson Hayes (28 points, four rebounds and three blocks) impressed in their Summer League debuts.
Hayes in particular wowed the crowd when he threw down a monster dunk and notched a chase-down block in transition.
As for Chicago, it can point to the performance of Coby White in the blowout loss as a silver lining. The No. 7 pick of the draft darted through the Pelicans’ defense on his way to 25 points, four rebounds, three assists and two steals and provided hope for those who believe he is the point guard of the future for the organization.
He also hit his first three-pointer of the Summer League, although he was just 2-of-8 from deep in defeat.
Minnesota Timberwolves def. Milwaukee Bucks, 100-91
Seven Minnesota Timberwolves players hit double figures in scoring as they defeated the Milwaukee Bucks 100-91.
Mitchell Creek, who plied his trade in the Australian NBL before making the jump to the NBA, did a little bit of everything for Minnesota. He led the team with 18 points and added four boards, three steals and one assist.
Keita Bates-Diop (14 points) and Josh Okogie (10 points) stepped up for the Wolves, too. The duo of Jordan McLaughlin and Kelan Martin provided a long-range threat, combinging to shoot 6-of-13 on three-pointers.
Elijah Bryant was the game's biggest star, dropping 31 points in 24 minutes off the bench for the Bucks.
Given the experience advantage they had on many of their opponents, Sterling Brown and D.J. Wilson fell short of expectations. They combined for 13 points on 5-of-26 shooting.
Boston Celtics def. Cleveland Cavaliers, 89-72
The Boston Celtics routed the Cleveland Cavaliers, with a trio of Boston rookies leading the way.
Carsen Edwards and Tremont Waters combined for 25 points and seven assists. Tacko Fall came off the bench to play 11 minutes and scored 12 points. The 7'7" Fall is particularly fun to watch in summer league, where the level of competition is well below what he'll see in the regular season.
Darius Garland and Kevin Porter Jr. continue to nurse injuries and thus missed the game. Dylan Windler returned to the lineup and had a team-high 15 points, shooting 3-of-5 from the perimeter.
Naz Mitrou-Long had a solid scoring night (13 points), but his 3-of-14 shooting clip summed up a night when the Cavs only made 33.3 percent of their field goals.
San Antonio Spurs def. Toronto Raptors, 93-90
It was the Lonnie Walker IV show as the San Antonio Spurs held off the Toronto Raptors.
Injuries limited Walker to just 17 games as a rookie this past season, so Spurs fans are watching the summer league with increased attentiveness. The 2018 first-round pick gave those fans something to cheer about as he scored 32 points. He shot 12-of-23 from the field and 3-of-6 from beyond the arc.
Although Walker did the heavy lifting, his supporting cast delivered as well. Seven other players scored, and San Antonio shot 51.4 percent as a team.
After an injury-ravaged rookie year in 2017-18, Chris Boucher carved out a role on the end of the Raptors bench in the second half of 2018-19. The former Oregon star is doing his best to impress the team in Vegas, pouring in 24 points and hauling in 12 rebounds Monday night.
Brooklyn Nets def. Washington Wizards, 88-85
Dzanan Musa didn't record a single block in his nine games as a rookie with the Brooklyn Nets. The Bosnian guard was apparently waiting for the perfect moment.
Troy Caupain had a chance to tie the game for the Washington Wizards as time expired in the fourth quarter. Instead, Musa rose to the occasion—both literally and figuratively—to get a hand on Caupain's jumper.
Musa filled up the stat sheet with eight points, six rebounds, five assists and the one block. Josh Gray had a big game as well, scoring a team-high 19 points and collecting eight boards.
Troy Brown Jr. and Rui Hachimura added to what has been an encouraging summer league for the pair. Brown had 16 points and was one rebound short of a double-double, while Hachimura scored 19 points on 6-of-14 shooting.
Detroit Pistons def. Indiana Pacers, 102-84
The Detroit Pistons coasted past the Indiana Pacers 102-84 on the strength of a group effort from their starting lineup.
All five Pistons starters scored in double figures, with Matt Costello's 20 points leading the way. Bruce Brown also posted a double-double, scoring 14 points and grabbing 10 rebounds.
Svi Mykhailiuk had a solid game (10 points, six assists) and delivered one of the game's top highlights. The former Kansas star nutmegged Pacers forward Jaylen Johnson to find Costello for a two-handed jam.
Aaron Holiday was the game's co-leading scorer along with Costello, while Alize Johnson had a double-double (15 points, 10 boards) in a losing effort.
Sacramento Kings def. Dallas Mavericks, 105-101
Cameron Payne went off for the Dallas Mavericks on Monday, scoring 32 points while shooting 9-of-17 from the field and 7-of-12 from downtown. But it wasn't enough to beat the Sacramento Kings.
Led by Milton Doyle (22 points), rookie Kyle Guy (19 points, three assists), Hollis Thompson (15 points) and Semaj Christon (15 points, nine rebounds, eight assists), the Kings survived Payne's onslaught and pulled out a 105-101 win.
Josh Reaves did all he could to help Payne lead the Mavs to a win, scoring 18 points and pulling down 10 boards. He also blocked three shots, but it wasn't enough to topple the Kings.
Sacramento will next play the Houston Rockets on Tuesday at 10 p.m. ET, while the Mavs will face Croatia on Wednesday at 3:30 p.m. ET.
Oklahoma City Thunder def. Philadelphia 76ers, 84-81 (OT)
Who doesn't want a bit of overtime basketball in the summer league?
The Philadelphia 76ers trailed the Oklahoma City Thunder by as many as 31 points in the second quarter, eventually erasing the lead and forcing overtime. But the Thunder held on from there, escaping with an 84-81 win.
Kevin Hervey (17 points, 17 rebounds), Luguentz Dort (15 points) and Hamidou Diallo (14 points, three steals) led the way for OKC, though they struggled in the second half after Philly switched to a zone defense, forcing them to take more perimeter shots.
Philly was led by two players who should carve out minutes with the Sixers this season off the bench, second-year man Zhaire Smith (18 points, five rebounds, three assists, two steals) and Matisse Thybulle (14 points, three blocks, two steals).
The Thunder will next be in action on Tuesday against Croatia at 3 p.m. ET, while the Sixers next face the Detroit Pistons at 3 p.m. ET on Wednesday.
China def. Charlotte Hornets, 84-80
After losing their first two contests, the Chinese national team finally entered the win column on Monday night.
Charlotte jumped out to an early six-point lead, but once China went ahead late in the opening quarter, it never looked back. The lead eventually swelled to 14 at one point, though China would eventually have to hold off a late rally by the Hornets.
Qi Zhou led the way for China with 17 points and nine rebounds and went 3-of-5 from beyond the arc. Ailun Guo also reached double digits, contributing 12 points to the cause.
Albeit in a losing effort, it was a solid night for 2018 second-round pick Arnoldas Kulboka. The forward posted a team-high 18 points on 7-of-12 shooting, knocking down three treys. Joe Chealey (16 points) and Isaiah Hicks (12) joined Kulboka in double figures.
China's first two games featured a 41-point loss to the Miami Heat and a 17-point loss to the Sacramento Kings.
"We're still improving a lot," China coach Li Nan said, per NBA.com. "We improved a lot when we came here. The first game we weren’t ready for the physical game, the fast game. The second game, on a back to back, we started realizing some things."
Both teams will be back in action on Wednesday, with Charlotte taking on the Chicago Bulls at 5 p.m. ET and China squaring off against the Milwaukee Bucks at 11 p.m. ET.
Golden State Warriors def. Los Angeles Lakers, 88-80
Los Angeles led for the majority of the first half, but Golden State used a strong second quarter to power itself to victory.
The Lakers led by as many as nine points early on, but the Warriors took full control of the contest in the second, outscoring their opponent 29-13 in the period. The lead grew to 15 late in the third, with Golden State pulling out an eight-point victory.
First-round pick Jordan Poole scored a team-high 23 points for the Warriors, and 2018 first-round Jacob Evans added 12 points and eight assists. Undrafted free agent Jordan Caroline scored a game-high 27 points in a losing effort for the Lakers.
Both teams will return to the court on Wednesday night. Los Angeles will go for its first win in a matchup with the 0-2 New York Knicks at 9:30 p.m. ET, while Golden State will look to hand the Denver Nuggets (1-0) their first loss at 11:30 p.m. ET.
