Summer League at a glance
A look at Friday’s action in the NBA Summer League:
RESULTS
Cox Pavilion
Denver 88, Dallas 70
Houston 100, Phoenix 82
Detroit 89, L.A. Lakers 84
Golden State 77, New Orleans 76
HIGHLIGHTS
Nuggets 88, Mavericks 70 — With dad George Karl looking on, Coby Karl scored 16 points and the Denver defense limited the Mavs to 10 second-quarter points in building a 20-point halftime lead.
Rockets 100, Suns 82 — Houston put five players in double figures, led by Jermaine Taylor’s 25 points. The Rockets forced 19 turnovers.
Pistons 89, Lakers 84 — Detroit closed the game with a 14-0 run after trailing by as many as 13. Austin Daye led the Pistons with 22 points.
Warriors 77, Hornets 76 — Brandan Wright sank two free throws with 38.1 seconds left for Golden State. Reggie Williams scored 22 for the Warriors.
STARS
Patrick Patterson had an impressive pro debut. The former Kentucky forward scored 18 points and shot 8-for-9 from the field in Houston’s win over Phoenix.
Devin Ebanks showed he’s more than a defensive specialist. The Lakers rookie forward from West Virginia scored 21 points against Detroit.
Marcus Thornton of the Hornets compiled 23 points, seven rebounds and three steals in a loss to Golden State.
TRAINER BOOTED
Mike Abdenour of the Pistons became the first trainer to be ejected from a Summer League game.
Abdenour, in his fourth decade with the team, was assessed a technical foul in the third quarter against the Lakers after chiding the referees about a missed call. When Abdenour didn’t shut up, he got the boot from referee Casey Harp.
Asked to explain what he said to get tossed, Abdenour said, “Sometimes you have to be politically correct.”
UNLV NUGGETS
The Denver Nuggets have the largest UNLV influence this year.
Former coach Tim Grgurich was on the bench Friday, as was Rebels legend Stacey Augmon, Denver’s player development coach. John Welch, who played at UNLV and was last year’s Summer League coach, was also with the Denver contingent, as was general manager Mark Warkentien, who was Grgurich’s fellow assistant when both worked for Jerry Tarkanian.
Romel Beck, who played at UNLV from 2003 to 2005, was in uniform for the Nuggets. He made his only shot — a 3-pointer — while playing two-plus minutes in an 88-70 win over Dallas.
HOBSON HOBBLING
Darington Hobson’s pro debut might be on hold. The Bucks rookie from Las Vegas injured his right groin muscle practicing with the team in Milwaukee.
Hobson, a 6-foot-7-inch swingman from New Mexico who was drafted in the second round, said he was hopeful he could play in front of his family and friends during the Bucks’ Las Vegas run.
Milwaukee opens its Summer League schedule Monday against Dallas. Hobson said he will make the trip regardless of his availability.
HOOPS FOR ST. JUDE’S
Thursday night’s annual tipoff dinner at the Hard Rock Hotel was attended by 200 and pushed the Summer League’s donation to the Hoops for St. Jude charity to $200,000 this year.
GONE LOCO
No, it’s not football season yet, but the Locomotives cheerleading squad, the Locomotion, performed during Friday’s Lakers-Pistons game. OK, so they aren’t the Laker Girls, but hey, cheerleaders are cheerleaders, no matter the sport.
LOOKING AHEAD
It’s a battle of Texas as the Mavericks take on the Rockets at 7 p.m. today.
Houston has an Arizona-Wake Forest feel as former Wildcats Chase Budinger and Jordan Hill are on the Rockets’ roster with ex-Demon Deacons Chas McFarland and Ishmael Smith.
QUOTABLE
“A lot of people doubted I’d make it to this point. But the past is in the past. The sky’s the limit for me.” Lakers center Derrick Caracter, who had 20 points and 10 rebounds against the Pistons.
Today’s games
Cox Pavilion
1 p.m. — Toronto vs. Phoenix
3 p.m. — L.A. Lakers vs. Denver
5 p.m. — Detroit vs. Golden State
7 p.m. — Dallas vs. Houston
STEVE CARP AND TRISTAN AIRD
LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL
