NBA Summer League Day 3: Rocket early front-runner for MVP
NBA SUMMER LEAGUE: DAY 3
Who: All 30 NBA teams
When: Monday to July 17
Where: Thomas & Mack Center and Cox Pavilion
Tickets: Start at $35 for children and seniors and $45 for adults for single-day pass
Sunday’s scores
Cleveland 99, Toronto 76
Los Angeles Lakers 93, Charlotte 75
Brooklyn 98, New York 80
Houston 113, Detroit 101
Washington 103, Boston 98
Portland 85, San Antonio 80
Atlanta 98, Denver 93
New Orleans 94, Golden State 86
Monday’s schedule
Memphis vs. Cleveland, 3 p.m., Cox Pavilion, ESPNews
Phoenix vs. Miami, 3:30 p.m., Thomas & Mack, NBAtv
Philadelphia vs. Dallas, 5 p.m., Cox Pavilion, ESPNU
Indiana vs. Orlando, 5:30 p.m., Thomas & Mack, NBAtv
Minnesota vs. Utah, 7 p.m., Cox Pavilion, ESPNU
Sacramento vs. Los Angeles Clippers, 7:30 p.m., Thomas & Mack, NBAtv
Stars of the day
Jabari Smith Jr., Rockets forward
The No. 3 overall pick in 2022 is the early front-runner for Summer League MVP, though it’s unclear how much more he’ll play after a couple of dominant performances.
He followed up his phenomenal game from Friday, when he capped the effort with a buzzer-beating 3-pointer for the win, with 38 points in a win over the Pistons on Sunday.
Smith hit 13 of 25 from the field and went 9-for-10 from the free-throw line, adding seven rebounds and six assists.
The 38 points were the most by any player in a Summer League game in Las Vegas since Furkan Korkmaz put up 40 in a 2018 game.
Victor Wembanyama, Spurs forward
Everybody relax.
The No. 1 overall pick and one of the most-hyped prospects to enter the league in years had to endure 48 hours of ridiculous mockery on Twitter after a 2-for-13 effort in his Friday debut.
That should be over now.
Wembanyama went 9-for-14 from the field and 2-for-4 from the 3-point line in a 27-point, 12-rebound performance on Sunday.
More importantly, he was confident and assertive. The 7-foot-3-inch phenom looked like a completely different player.
Beyond the numbers, he made several dazzling plays in the open court and threw down a couple of spectacular dunks while continuing to be a disruptive force on the defensive end.
Colin Castleton, Lakers center
Castleton went a long way in proving he belongs on a roster with a stellar performance in Sunday’s victory over Charlotte, just weeks after going undrafted.
The former Michigan and Florida big man went 8-for-13 from the field and made all five free-throw attempts to finish with 21 points.
Castleon, who was on his way to a fantastic senior season before it was cut short by a hand injury in February, proved he is healthy with 14 rebounds in the game. He also showed excellent vision for a 6-11 post with three assists.
The Lakers are looking for bodies who can contribute, and Castleton, who signed a two-way contract last week that could see him in the G League with South Bay, is trying to make a case.
Castleton just edged out Golden State’s Brandin Podziemski, who finished a rebound shy of a triple-double with 10 points and 10 assists in the late game. It would have been the third recorded in Las Vegas in NBA Summer League history
Faces in the crowd
The NBA champions were out in full force on Sunday, as several Denver Nuggets sat together watching their Summer League team fall just short against the Hawks.
Christian Bruan, Reggie Jackson, Aaron Gordon, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Michael Porter Jr. and DeAndre Jordan were among the group taking in the action.
Team president Josh Kroenke and his father, owner Stan Kroenke were also in attendance, along with coach Mike Malone.
Jamal Murray is also in town. He spent Saturday night backstage at UFC 290 with featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski and attended the press conference with him after he defended his title in the main event.
New backcourt mates Steph Curry and Chris Paul sat together watching the Warriors game in the nightcap, and Paul offered one of the best lines of the day when asked about coming off the bench this season with his new team.
“Are you coaching?” Paul asked the reporter.
Steve Kerr, who actually will make that decision, also sat with the guards.
Another player in the building to watch his new team was Gabe Vincent, who signed with the Lakers after falling just short of a title with the Heat. Vincent, a California native who played collegiately at UC Santa Barbara, told reporters Sunday he signed with the Lakers to play for a contender that is an iconic franchise and to be closer to home.
Former Celtics great Paul Pierce also made an appearance courtside Sunday.
Adam Hill Review-Journal
