NBA Summer League has final full day of preliminary play
LAS VEGAS (AP) — NBA rookies are getting a quick lesson on the demands of the schedule. Another full day of basketball Monday was the third game in four days for the 20 teams in action at the NBA Summer League. The games are shorter than a regular NBA game — 40 minutes instead of 48 — and there’s no travel, but it’s still a lot of action in a short amount of time.
Some teams even gave players a rest day during the stretch of games, knowing there will be more ahead. Every team is guaranteed five games, with the possibility of playing as many as eight games in 12 days.
Monday was the last of the 10-game slates on the campus of UNLV. There are only five games Tuesday before teams are seeded for tournament play that begins Wednesday.
Monday’s summaries: CAVALIERS 93, PACERS 88
Cedi Osman scored 25 points and No. 8 pick Collin Sexton added 21 for the Cavaliers (2-1). Billy Preston finished with 12 points on a day Ante Zizic rested.
TJ Leaf scored 20 points for the Pacers (1-2). Alize Johnson added 16, Edmond Sumner had 14 and rookie Aaron Holiday had 12 points and eight assists but also eight turnovers.
THUNDER 92, RAPTORS 82
Rashawn Thomas and PJ Dozier scored 17 points apiece for the Thunder (2-1), who have won two straight games after losing their first 11 games in the Summer League, dating to when the franchise was based in Seattle. Thomas also grabbed 12 rebounds.
Kevin Hervey added 12 points and Dakari Johnson finished with 10 while also getting into an exchange with Toronto’s OG Anunoby in which both received technical fouls.
Anunoby finished with 19 points and Malachi Richardson had 17 for the Raptors (0-3).
PISTONS 105, PELICANS 97
Henry Ellenson had 13 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists as Detroit (1-2) avoided going winless in preliminary play. The former lottery pick also had two steals but committed six turnovers.
Bruce Brown and Khyri Thomas each added 12 points for the Pistons.
Cheick Diallo scored 25 points in the Pelicans’ first loss in Las Vegas.
Walter Lemmon Jr. and Shavon Shields each finished with 14 points for New Orleans (2-1).
WIZARDS 87, 76ERS 75
Troy Brown Jr. scored 23 points and Devin Robinson had 22 to help the Wizards (1-2) win the game matching teams that entered play winless.
Thomas Bryant finished with 16 points and 12 rebounds.
Furkan Korkmaz, who had a 40-point game earlier this week, was 0 for 9 from the field and finished with one point for the 76ers (0-3).
Rookie Zhaire Smith was 1 for 9 for two points.
Chris McCullough led Philadelphia with 20 points.