Despite the Utah Jazz losing the fifth overall pick from the 2014 NBA Draft (Dante Exum) to a night one ankle injury, his services have been the only thing the team has lost in the summer league round-robin event they are hosting. After a convincing opening night victory that saw Exum and fellow first round pick Rodney Hood combine for forty-three points, the Jazz were able to overcome a game high twenty-five points from Spurs' forward Kyle Anderson and a six point four quarter deficit to slide past San Antonio. Could they pull off the three game sweep and capture the 2015 Utah Summer League Championship?
Today's Results
Game 1
0-2 (3 pts) Boston 85
1-1 (5.5 pts) San Antonio 71
Notables
BOS-Marcus Smart
***Utah Summer League Star of the Day
22 points (9-14), 4 rebounds, 7 assists, 3 steals, & 1 block.
SA-Cady Lalanne
13 points (4-10) & 3 rebounds.
"The ball is inbounded on the wing to Kyle Anderson, 4.4 seconds remaining. He jab steps towards the baseline and causes Rodney Hood to fall down! Anderson dribbles towards the hoop and attempts the game winning layup. Off-the mark! Jazz win!"
Although the Spurs' thirtieth overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft Kyle Anderson had a fantastic game on Tuesday night, the ending was definitely not what he or the team had hoped for. With that being the case, the San Antonio Spurs came out playing angry Thursday night and raced off to a 10-3 advantage against Marcus Smart and the Boston Celtics. Just before the quarter ended, Kyle Anderson would finally get on the board with two free throws, which increased the Spurs' lead to nine heading into the second quarter.
Despite Boston's 2014 first round pick (sixth overall) Marcus Smart, who wowed the Utah crowd on Monday night with twenty-six points, five rebounds, and eight assists, having zero first quarter points after two days off, the former Oklahoma State star was amazing in the second quarter as he scored fifteen of his game high twenty-two points in the ten minute segment. In fact, Smart was involved directly in twenty of the Celtics' twenty-seven second quarter points! While Boston's offense was firing on all cylinders, the Spurs could not put the "biscuit in the basket" and was only able to muster thirteen points, resulting in a five point halftime deficit.
Coming out of the locker room, Boston continued to extend their lead over San Antonio with twelve combined points from back court duo Marcus Smart and Terry Rozier. Yet after falling behind fifteen, the Spurs were able to counter with a few punches thanks to Casper Ware and Kyle Anderson going on an 8-5 run to draw the team within seven heading into the final quarter.
Seven would be as close as San Antonio would be able to get for the remainder of the game last night due to the twenty-eighth overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft R.J. Hunter having a flashback to his days at Georgia State and scoring twelve of his professional high eighteen points in the quarter to put the Celtics ahead by a margin to great to be overcome.
In addition to Boston's R.J. Hunter, who was able to break out of a shooting slump of no points in two games, fellow rookies Terry Rozier and Jordan Mickey played very well as the previous posted sixteen points and seven assists while the latter came a point and rebound away from recording a double-double. Wednesday's "Utah Summer League Star of the Day" Kyle Anderson of the Spurs had a tough final day in Salt Lake City and finished yesterday's game with nine points (on two for twelve shooting) and seven rebounds.
Game 2
1-1 (4 pts) Philadelphia 78
2-0 (3.5 pts) Utah 84
Final in Overtime
Notables
PHI-Jordan McRae
19 points (5-16), 2 rebounds, 2 steals, & 1 block.
UTAH-Bryce Cotton
20 points (6-14), 5 rebounds, 5 assists, & 2 steals.
Could it get any better than this! The Utah Jazz had the chance to capture the championship of the first Utah Summer League since 2008 in front of their home crowd on Thursday night. But with the injury bug bitting young stars Dante Exum (left ankle) and Rodney Hood (shoulder sprain), it would not be easy.
From the start, the Utah Jazz played surprisingly well without their two best players and were able jump out to a 20-7 lead just over halfway through the first quarter. In fact, Dayton product Chris Johnson had just as many points as the whole Philadelphia 76ers' team at the 4:30 mark! Although Philadelphia was able to outscore the host team to end the first ten minute segment, Utah had a comfortable 29-18 lead heading into the second.
After a very evenly matched second quarter in which the Sixers won 16-13, Jack Cooley wiped away any Philadelphia momentum by scoring four points in a 8-2 run to begin the third quarter. Later 2015 first round pick by Utah (twelfth overall) Trey Lyles was finally able to find a rhythm in his first professional game by netting six of his ten points in just over a minute of game time. Despite the 6-2 personal run by Lyles, Jordan McRae got the last laugh by starting an 8-2 spurt to draw the deficit to seven.
In the fourth, McRae continued playing well and actually invoked a 20-7 run that not only stole the lead from the Jazz but gave the 76ers a six point advantage (largest of game) with two minutes remaining in regulation. The Jazz crowd as well as the players were completely stunned! Would the 2015 Utah Summer League really end with Philadelphia being crowned champs?
Bryce Cotton, a six foot, one inch point guard from Providence, had very tough shooting games in the first two contests of Utah Summer League and was on his way to third if it was not for him making a runner and two free throws to reduce his team's deficit to two!. After Utah's Jack Cooley rejected Sixers' scorer Jordan McRae's shot attempt with thirty two seconds left, Cotton found Cooley on a pick and roll that resulted in a foul. The first free throw attempt was rattled home by the Notre Dame product, which set up the biggest shot of the game. The big man dribbled the basketball three times, bent his knees, and fired. The ball sailed through the air and bounced off every part of the rim before falling through the net to tie the game.
Who would the Sixers go to for the win? T.J. McConnell brought the ball across halfcourt before passing it to the third overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft Jahlil Okafor. Okafor caught the ball on the left elbow and faced up towards the rim. He then started dribbling towards his left with five seconds left but losing the handle! Jack Cooley had stole the ball! The Jazz quickly called a timeout after gaining possession to draw up a play for the win. Chris Johnson was the inbounder and he found a wide open Bryce Cotton in the corner for three! Doink! "It rattled out! We are going to overtime!"
The Philadelphia 76ers won the tip in the two minute overtime and went straight to Jahlil Okafor. But he traveled, turning the ball over to the Jazz. The EnergySolutions Arena was rocking! On the insuing possession Trey Lyles threaded the needle to Jack Cooley for a wide-open dunk for the first basket of overtime. Nonetheless, Philadelphia's Jordan McRae answered with two of his team high nineteen to re-tie the game at 76. Little did McRae or any of the Sixers know that following his jumper, the "Bryce Cotton School of Basketball" would be called into session as Cotton scored eight of his game high twenty points consecutively to put the final nail in the Sixers' coffin.
While Bryce Cotton and Jack Cooley willed their team to the comeback victory, Philadelphia's 2015 draft picks Jahlil Okafor and Jordan McRae combined for thirty points (McRae with nineteen, Okafor eleven) in the loss. Also, Sixers' starters Jerami Grant and T.J. McConnell ended their experience in Salt Lake City on a high note by each posting ten points.
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)
---22 points (9-14), 4 rebounds, 7 assists, 3 steals, & 1 block.
-James Young BOS (#17 Pick)
---1 point (0-4) & 2 rebounds.
-Rodney Hood UTAH (#23 Pick)
---Did not play due to shoulder sprain.
-Kyle Anderson SA (#30 Pick)
---9 points (2-12), 7 rebounds, 3 assists, 4 steals, & 1 block.
2015 First Round Picks In Action
-Jahlil Okafor PHI (#3 Pick)
---11 points (5-10), 6 rebounds, 3 assists, & 2 steals.
-Trey Lyles UTAH (#12 Pick)
---10 points (3-9), 1 rebound, 1 assist, & 1 steal.
-Terry Rozier BOS (#16 Pick)
---16 points (5-13), 3 rebounds, 7 assists, & 1 steal.
-R.J. Hunter BOS (#28 Pick)
---18 points (4-7), 1 rebound, & 1 block.
Standings
1. Utah 3-0 (4.5 pts)
2. Philadelphia 1-2 (7 pts)
3. San Antonio 1-2 (6.5 pts)
4. Boston 1-2 (6 pts)
***All four team head to Las Vegas and will compete in Las Vegas Summer League.
Vavel.com's All-Utah Summer League First Team
G-Marcus Smart BOS
***Most Valuable Player
---(2 GP) 24.0 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 7.5 APG, 2.5 SPG, & 1.0 BPG.
G-Jordan McRae PHI
---(3 GP) 15.7 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 1.0 APG, & 1.0 SPG.
F-Rodney Hood UTAH
---(2 GP) 20.5 PPG, 7.5 RPG, 2.5 APG, & 1.0 SPG.
F-Kyle Anderson SA
---(3 GP) 14.0 PPG, 8.0 RPG, 2.3 APG, 2.0 SPG, & 1 BPG.
C-Jahlil Okafor PHI
---(3 GP) 14.0 PPG, 8.3 RPG, 1.3 APG, & 1.3 SPG.
Today's Slate
6:00 PM (Las Vegas Summer League)
Milwaukee - New Orleans
(at Cox Pavilion)
6:30 PM (Las Vegas Summer League)
Sacramento - Toronto
(at Thomas & Mack Center)
8:00 PM (Las Vegas Summer League)
Atlanta - Denver
(at Cox Pavilion)
8:30 PM (Las Vegas Summer League)
Minnesota - Los Angeles Lakers
(at Thomas & Mack Center)
10:00 PM (Las Vegas Summer League)
D-League Select - Houston
(at Cox Pavilion)
10:30 PM (Las Vegas Summer League)
Golden State - Cleveland
(at Thomas & Mack Center)
***All Times Eastern
Today's Game of the Day
8:30 PM
Minnesota - Los Angeles Lakers
The first overall pick versus the second. Karl-Anthony Towns versus D'Angelo Russell. Minnesota versus the Los Angeles Lakers. When the Las Vegas Summer League schedule was released before the NBA Draft, all NBA fans circled this game on their calendar because it would feature the top two picks in their first professional. And it should not disappoint. Although tonight's matchup will not feature Karl-Anthony Towns guarding Jahlil Okafor (and vice versa) as many thought prior to draft night, the nation will get a chance to see how the Towns and D'Angelo Russell's skills will translate to the next level. In addition, top rookies from this past season like All-Rookie First Teamer Jordan Clarkson of Los Angeles and All-Rookie Second Teamer Zach LaVine will suit-up for their squads as they refine their skills for the upcoming season.