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San Antonio Spurs (4-0) 80 vs. Los Angeles Lakers (0-5) 71 

Boxscore

After 5 games, the excellent play of second round picks Derrick Caracter and Devin Ebanks wasn’t enough to get the Lakers a single win in this year’s summer league, with the San Antonio Spurs taking an 80-71 victory in the first game of Day 7.

Tyler Wilkinson and Gary Neal led the Spurs with 20 each to take their record to a perfect 2-0. Neal was aggressive all game and also picked up 3 rebounds, 2 steals and an assist. Wilkinson’s 6”8 240 frame isn’t ideal for an NBA power forward, but he hustled hard and was relentless on the offensive boards (4). He also had 9 rebounds and an assist.

Daryl Watkins only shot 3/7 from the field but collected a solid double-double with 10 points and 11 boards. Alonzo Gee showed off his athleticism but struggled shooting going for 10 points (4/12FG) & 6 rebounds with 4 turnovers.

The Lakers draft picks had individual success overall, but Ebanks (15ppg 42FG% 3.6rpg 1.4apg 1.4stl) only took 8 shots today for his 11 points, 7 rebounds and 2 blocks. Ebanks didn’t register a single statistic in the first quarter but got going with a big second. Caracter (15.4ppg 59% 8.6rpg 1.8apg 1.4blk) went close to averaging a double-double however could only manage 10 points, 6 rebounds with 7 fouls and 3 turnovers today.

Gerald Green Struggled throughout parts of the game, but like the last player to wear the Lakers #8 jersey, he led the scoring for Los Angeles with 18 points and 7 rebounds. Courtney Sims improved each game in his time in Vegas, finishing with a line of 12 points 5 rebounds 3 assist and 2 steals.

Golden State Warriors (3-2) 86 vs Phoenix Suns (1-4) 76

Boxscore

The Golden State Warriors made sure they left Vegas with a winning record, beating the Phoenix Suns 86-76 in game 2 at Cox Pavilion. Warriors leading scorer Reggie Williams started off hot but only ended up playing in 19 minutes of action. He was productive offensively, dropping 18 points on 7/12 shooting.

Brian Chase led the Warriors scoring today with 20 but wasn’t efficient getting there, going 7/21 from the field. He also picked up 3 rebounds, 5 assists (4 TO’s) and a steal.

Both Warriors big men Andre Brown (15pts, 11reb) and Kim Tillie (13pts 12rebs) collected well-earned double-double. The pair was active on the offensive boards, combining for 8. Both players should find a spot with teams in Europe.

Suns Earl Clark played a strong game after a disappointing start to summer league. Clark was much more involved today and although only shot 5/16 from the field, his shot selection wasn’t as poor as previous games. He showed his touch from 18 feet and played strong defense, with his help causing a travel on one occasion.

Second rounder Gani Lawal, hasn’t been lighting the scoreboard up like some of the other rookies but he has been very impressive all week with his attitude at both ends of the floor. Lawal collected 14pts, 7rebs, 2blocks and a steal in his final SL game. He nearly made a blindfolded shot when his defender slapped his headband across his eyes on a drive to the basket. One of his best highlights today was gaining possession following a huge block on C.J Giles.

Phonex point guard Scottie Reynolds has impressed the team enough to receive an invite to the Sun’s pre-season minicamp.

Washington Wizards (3-0) 88 vs Dallas Mavericks (1-3) 82

Boxscore

The Washington Wizards moved to a perfect 3-0 this evening, in an entertaining 88-82 win over the Dallas Mavericks. #1 pick John Wall pushed a triple double finishing with 21points, 10 assist, 7 rebounds and just the 3 turnovers. His battle with Harvard’s Jeremy Lin late thrilling the capacity crowd.

Wall shot a miserable 4/19 from the field but was successful getting to the line where he converted 13 from 15 attempts. There were occasions where wall was slow initiating the offense and found himself dribbling at the top of the key with the shot clock winding down without any attractive options. It resulted in some bad misses , including an airball.

Wall received impressive contributions from both JaVale McGee and Cartier Martin. McGee is a walking highlight reel, sending down a series of dunks including a spectacular reverse tip-in. He had a slow day rebounding the ball (4 rebs) but finished with 18 points (9/10FG). Martin had his shot going and played a very solid game today. He connected on 3/5 attempts from long range on his way to a team high 23 points (6/11FG) 5 rebounds, a steal and an assist.

Trevor Booker knows his role but didn’t trouble the scorers table much today. He made his first field goal with 5 minutes left in the game. Booker showed his outside touch, swishing his only make and also displayed his vision with a sweet bounce pass from the high post for his only assist.

Dominique Jones played a great game on a losing side, scoring a game high 28 points on 9/17 shooting. Jones doesn’t mind being physical and was successful getting to the line (10/12FT). Jones also recorded 4 rebounds, 4 assists, a steal and a block. The mature SG appears to be an excellent pick for the Mavs in the late first round.

Jeremy Lin played his best game against his best competition, finishing the game with 13 points (6-12 fg), 4 rebounds, 2 assets and 2 steals. His size allows him to be a strong on-ball defender, matching up on Wall and having some success. With Wall guarding him late in the 4th, Lin managed to shake free and drain an impressive three pointer. Rallying behind him and the underdog Mavs, the Cox Pavilion crowd was anticipating a repeat performance on the next trip down the floor and Lin nearly answered their call, splitting a double team and almost converting on an acrobatic spin move in the paint. The crowd was on their feet until, to their dismay, they realized Lin was called for a charge on the play. The undrafted Harvard product did commit 4 turnovers with a crucial one coming in the last 17 seconds with his team down 4. But his performance in Las Vegas is making some scouts believe that his NBA dream could really take flight.

Rodrigue Beaubois had a shockingly bad game, struggling defensively and picking up 4 fouls in the first 5:30. Beaubois went scoreless and recorded up just the 1 rebound, 1 assist along with 5 fouls & 3 turnovers in 16 minutes of action. He may have been told by coaches to tone things down after taking a series of spills all week.

Atlanta Hawks (1-2) 83 vs Milwaukee Bucks (0-3) 60

Boxscore

The battle of the "un-feateds" saw the Hawks get their first SL victory over the Milwaukee Bucks. The Hawks were paced by former Alabama power forward Richard Hendrix (14 pts, 4 reb)

Hawks second year point guard Jeff Teague played his best game of the SL with 13 points on 4-9 fg. His 5 ast to 3 to was the important stat as everyone knows he’s a talented scorer, but it’s his ability to run the team that needs development.

Rookie first rounder Jordan Crawford struggled shooting the ball (3-12). He’s a volume shooter so learning how to score "cold" coming off the bench will be critical for him. He’s a player that has had the luxury of being able to shoot himself out of slumps, but when things aren’t going well for him, he won’t be afforded that luxury in the future.

For the Bucks, sky walker Deron Washington led all scorers with 15 points (6-10 fg). He appears to have added the toughness and dedication that was lacking from his game when he came into the league as a 2nd rounder. He should have a shot of making a team after an impressive showing in Las Vegas.

Rookie Larry Sanders had 8 pts (4-11 fg) and 13 boards and 4 steals in a second consecutive solid performance. He’s still very raw offensively but he flashed his considerable upside once again.

Bucks second round rookie Tiny Gallon had 9 pts (4-11 fg) and 5 boards. He’s one of the most skilled freshmen bigmen to come out in a number of years and could really turn into an excellent pick if he stays focused.

Los Angeles Clippers (1-2) 72 Portland Trailblazers (2-1) 71

Boxscore

The Portland Trailblazers came back from a 20 point deficit but fell just short of the comeback win, going down to the Clippers 72-71 in the final game in Cox Pavilion. It was a confidence building win for the Clippers who now move to 1-2 record for this year’s summer league.

DeAndre Jordan played big for Los Angeles, showing some nice post moves. He had a tough battle with Jeff Pendergraph throughout the game. Although he missed 2 foul shots in the final minutes, he more than made up for it with a huge offensive rebound with 15 second left in the contest. He finished with 12 points, 11 rebounds and 5 blocks with 6 turnovers.

First rounder pick Al-Farouq Aminu again struggled with his shooting numbers (3/12FG) but is showing more of his skills with each game. Although he swished a three, Aminu will need to be a more reliable outside shot to be a successful small forward in the NBA. He did show the ability to break his man down and go to the basket as well as pull up for a mid range jump shot. He has had a slow summer league but there are some good signs for Clipper’s fans.

Eric Bledsoe had his best game so far. He looked more like an NBA point guard today, making good decisions and running the offense. He had one poor turnover where he was called for an 8 second count bringing the ball up with no pressure. Overall, his 3 turnovers may actually have been harshly counted today. Bledsoe took a couple of rough shots during the game, including getting clipped in the face on a pick. He improved without being spectacular and finished with a line of 9pts, 2rebs, 3assist, 1 steal and 3 turnovers.

The Blazers were led by second year men, Jeff Pendergraph (10 pts 14 rebs) and Dante Cunningham (17pts 5rebs).

Second rounder Armon Johnson wasn’t aggressive offensively but had a solid overall game. He recorded 10 points, 3 rebs, 5 assists, 2 steals with 3 turnovers.

Rookie Luke Babbitt had a disappointing start and finish with few good signs in between. He committed two turnovers with his opening touches and then missed a put back on the buzzer that would have won the game. Babbitt also missed a crunch time free throw that would have tied the scores. He looked to struggle with the pace of the game at times but did run the floor and strongly finish a break. He didn’t score his first field goal until midway through the 3rd quarter. He finished with 12 points, 5 rebounds and 5 turnovers.

During the second half, Los Angeles called for a timeout when they didn’t have one and were hit with a technical foul. Chris Webber, who’s in town calling the games for NBATV, could only shake his head and smile.

Memphis Grizzlies (3-0) 101 vs D-LeagueSelect (0-3) 85

Boxscore

Memphis ran their SL record to a perfect 3-0 behind a 2010 SL single game record 35 points from Sam Young. Young scored on a number of athletic forays to the basket. His length and athleticism proved too much for the DL squad to handle. He’s proving what many scouts felt all along: that he was the better prospect than first rounder DeMarre Carroll, (9 pts, 3-9 fg) despite being taken in the 2nd round in last year’s draft.

Center Hasheem Thabeet had a breakout performance (21 pts and 14 reb and 6 blocks) finding very little resistance with the D-League bigmen. His big game is a positive sign for a player who has really struggled to live up to the 2nd pick in the draft (2009) expectations. He still appears stiff in his movements and doesn’t have a fluid offensive game, but a performance like this could give him some confidence to build off of.

2008 late first rounder Darrell Arthur had a solid game with 17 and 8 after struggling in the team’s opener. He’s got the athleticism and talent, it’s putting the mental aspects of the game together and finding consistency that has troubled him.

2010 first rounder Greivis Vasquez had 9 points on 4-9 shooting. His playmaking was on display today as he dished out 7 dimes to just 4 turnovers. Quickness could be an issue for him at the NBA level, but his fiery demeanor and competitiveness will give him a good shot of sticking in the league.

The D-League All Stars are not finding the same level of success that they enjoyed in last year’s event. They have dropped to 0-3 but continue to battle tough.

27 year old Larry Owens (11 and 9) continues to have the look of an NBA player, but his skill level appears to be a work in progress. The wing forward looks eerily similar to Grizzlies second year forward Carroll, maybe it’s the braids.

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5 Comments

  1. dang Mavs vs Wiz
    I know Wall nearly had a triple dub but Lin wasn’t even suppose to be doing him up and he was giving Wall all he can handle gotta show some love for my Asian bro… If u haven’t seen vids of the game u gotta go check it out CWebb was going crazy… Plz give Lin a chance Dallas

  2. Umm…
    Lin had more than “some success” defending Wall. JW (a rough 4-19 FG) didn’t make a single bucket when Lin was on him. Meanwhile, JL (who had to come off the bench, mind you) had 9 of his 13 pts. against Wall in the 4th.

  3. One more thing…
    Lin also got all-ball in tying up Wall on a layup attempt — sending Wall careening to the floor. If the reverse had happened, the experts would be chuckling and saying “Sorry, Harvard, you can’t play with the big boys.” Instead, they look for excuses on behalf of Wall or minor flaws to Lin’s performance.

    Obviously, JW is a future star and JL is nowhere near him…but don’t patronize Lin. He has as much game as any other aspiring NBA rotation player.

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