For the first time since 2008, NBA Summer League basketball is back in Salt Lake City and night one's matchups did not disappoint. Not only did the third overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft Jahlil Okafor make his professional debut and nearly recorded a double-double in game one but the second game featured a one-on-one showdown between the fifth and sixth pick in the 2014 NBA Draft as Utah's Dante Exum was matched up against Boston's Marcus Smart. Could yesterday's action live up to the fantastic basketball seen the night before?
Today's Results
Game 1
0-1 (2 pts) Boston 62
0-1 (1 pt) Philadelphia 76
Notables
BOS-C.J. Fair
10 points (5-9), 6 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, & 1 block.
PHI-Furkan Aldemir
11 points (4-8), 14 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, & 3 blocks.
Not too often during NBA Summer League will two teams from the same division face-off against each other, yet that was the case for game one as the Philadelphia 76ers were to play the Boston Celtics. Despite Boston, whose roster contains four first-round draft picks from the last two year's drafts, being without 2014-2015 NBA All-Rookie Second Teamer Marcus Smart (twenty-six points, five rebounds, eight assists, two steals, & one block in a night one loss to Utah) as it was his off-day, the Celtics jumped out to an early 16-12 first quarter lead thanks to five points from Royce O'Neale and four by Terry Rozier. Somehow, the following quarter would be even more offensively absent than the first as only twenty-five total points were scored in the ten minute period. But during the segment, the 76ers were able to take the lead with a pair of Jordan McRae made free throws right before halftime.
Coming out of halftime, Philadelphia's offense was finally able to overmatch Boston's defense and extended their lead with a 10-4 run in which eight of the points were supplied by Furkan Aldemir. Later, Sixers' first-round pick (third overall) Jahlil Okafor was able to get in on the fun by scoring six of his game-high thirteen points in a five-minute span to extend the lead to double-digits.
In the fourth and final quarter, Boston's first-round pick in the 2015 NBA Draft Terry Rozier and Jonathan Holmes did all they could to keep the game close (nine combined points), but it was not enough as Philadelphia waltzed to a 76-62 win. While Jahlil Okafor led his team in points (thirteen), the Celtics' 2015 first-round pick Rozier was the game leader with fourteen.
Game 2
1-0 (3 pts) San Antonio 70
1-0 (2 pts) Utah 72
Notables
SA-Kyle Anderson
***Utah Summer League Star of the Day
25 points (8-14), 8 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, & 1 block.
UTAH-Rodney Hood
18 points (8-14), 5 rebounds, 1 assist, & 1 block.
No Dante Exum, no Trey Lyles, no problem. On Monday night, injury struck the Utah Jazz as the fifth pick in the 2014 NBA Draft Dante Exum rolled his left ankle in the final minutes of a 100-82 win over the Boston Celtics. As a precaution, the organization ultimately decided to keep their nineteen-year-old point guard out of yesterday's contest with the 1-0 Spurs.
From the start, Exum's absence was felt by the Jazz as San Antonio's sharpshooter Dairis Bertans continued his hot shooting from Monday night with five quick points to give his team an early 7-2 lead. 2014 Spurs' first-round pick Kyle Anderson then showed a flashback to his UCLA days with nineteen points in fourteen minutes to conclude the half and also gave his squad a six-point advantage heading into the locker room. In addition to Anderson's first half performance, VCU product Treveon Graham had ten points off the Spurs' bench while Brock Motum posted eight in the first twenty minutes of action for Utah.
In the third quarter, Jazz second year players Rodney Hood and Bryce Cotton finally took over the game by totaling eleven of Utah's nineteen points. Nevertheless, Graham and Anderson helped San Antonio match their opponents' point total to hold the lead to six heading into the final period. Little did they know it would not last long.
Although J.J. O'Brien, who went undrafted from San Diego State a few weeks ago, only played five minutes and scored one point in a night one Jazz victory, he played a huge roll in the team's fourth quarter comeback. O'Brien immediately was a factor in the last ten-minute period as he scored the first four points to decrease the deficit to two. Later the former Aztec made the biggest shot of the game, a three pointer, that ignited the home crowd in addition to giving the Jazz their first lead since 4:33 left in the second quarter. It was a one possession ball game in Salt Lake City until Rodney Hood drained another jumper to move the winning margin to four.
Unfortunately for Utah, Spurs' forward Kyle Anderson answered immediately with a runner that made it a two-point game. After multiple missed opportunities by both teams to score down the stretch, the showdown came down to a San Antonio possession with 4.4 seconds left in regulation. Everyone in EnergySolutions Arena knew exactly who the ball was going to for the Spurs and with no surprise Kyle Anderson caught the ball on the left wing. He then jab stepped towards the baseline causing his defender Rodney Hood to fall down, resulting in an open lane to the basket. Anderson took one dribble and elevated for the game-tying layup. The attempt went off the glass and bounced off the rim hardly. Spurs center Cady Lalanne tried to tip in the miss prior to the buzzer, but he was short on his attempt. "Jazz win!"
Despite missing the game-tying attempt, Kyle Anderson was by far the best player suiting up tonight and ended his evening with twenty-five points on eight for fourteen shooting and eight rebounds. Utah's 2014 first-round pick Rodney Hood also had a solid outing as he bucketed eighteen.
2014 First-Round Picks In Action
-Joel Embiid PHI (#3 Pick)
---Will not participate in summer league due to lingering right foot injury.
-Dante Exum UTAH (#5 Pick)
---Did not play due to left ankle sprain suffered in Monday's victory.
-Marcus Smart BOS (#6 Pick)
---Did not play.
-James Young BOS (#17 Pick)
---9 points (2-11), 1 rebound, & 1 steal.
-Rodney Hood UTAH (#23 Pick)
---18 points (8-14), 5 rebounds, 1 assist, & 1 block.
-Kyle Anderson SA (#30 Pick)
---25 points (8-14), 8 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, & 1 block.
2015 First-Round Picks In Action
-Jahlil Okafor PHI (#3 Pick)
---13 points (5-12), 9 rebounds, & 1 steal.
-Trey Lyles UTAH (#12 Pick)
---Did not play due to contract holdup with team.
-Terry Rozier BOS (#16 Pick)
---14 points (4-11), 2 rebounds, 2 assists, & 2 steals.
-R.J. Hunter BOS (#28 Pick)
---0 points (0-3) & 3 rebounds.
Standings
1. Utah 2-0 (3.5 pts)
2. San Antonio 1-1 (5.5 pts)
3. Philadelphia 1-1 (4 pts)
4. Boston 0-2 (3 pts)
Thursday's Slate
7:00 PM
Boston - San Antonio
9:00 PM
Philadelphia - Utah
Thursday's Game of the Day
9:00 PM
Philadelphia - Utah
Utah Summer League all comes down to this. Philadelphia versus Utah! The scenario for the Jazz is fairly simple: with a win tomorrow night they will be crowned champions. Led by Utah Summer League's second highest scorer Rodney Hood (20.5 points per game), the Jazz solidly defeated the Boston Celtics and came back from a six-point fourth quarter deficit to remain victorious against San Antonio last night. Yet aside the fact, tomorrow will not be easy against the third pick in the 2015 NBA Draft Jahlil Okafor and the Philadelphia 76ers. Philadelphia, who needs a win and a Spurs' loss to be named champions, also handedly won against Boston but was edged by the Spurs in a three-point loss. Will Okafor be able to claim the Utah Summer League championship to compliment his National Championship with Duke against former Blue Devil Rodney Hood? Find out tomorrow at 9 PM Eastern Standard Time.