The 2021 NBA Summer League slate continues in Las Vegas on Monday with eight games tipping off. The Vegas showcase is nearing a conclusion, with just two more days left. A lot of players have emerged as challengers for a roster spot this year, while others have floundered. Teams are starting to make decisions on two-way contracts and G-League squads, which many of the players at Summer League will be involved with if they don’t make an NBA roster.
Here we’ll be recapping all the games for Monday, August 16th.
NBA Summer League recaps
Pacers 74, Wizards 66
Cassius Stanley shot 70% from the field, dropping 19 points and seven rebounds as the Pacers closed out their Summer League schedule with an eight-point win over the Wizards. Keifer Sykes dropped 12 while big man Isaiah Jackson tied the Summer League record for blocks in a single game with seven.
The only player to crack double digits in the point column for Washington was Isaiah Todd with 11. The Wizards shot just 34.2% from the floor as a team on Monday. Corey Kispert struggled, going 1-7 from the floor and missing all four of his three-point attempts.
Nuggets 94, Bucks 87
Nah’Shon Hyland continues to raise his stock at Summer League. The sharpshooter went for 20 points and also dished five assists in Denver’s victory. With Jamal Murray expected to miss a good portion of the season, Hyland will be a valuable player for the Nuggets from the jump.
Sandro Mamukelashvili had a strong game for the Bucks, tallying 20 points and seven rebounds. Wisconsin product DMitrik Trice added 24 points off the bench in the loss. Both players will hope to compete for a roster spot with the defending champions.
Thunder 116, Spurs 91
The Oklahoma City Thunder finished their Las Vegas stint by exploding for a Summer League-high 116 points in Monday’s blowout victory over the Spurs. Rob Edwards went four-of-eight from three to finish with a game-high 22 points while both Josh Hall (17 points, seven rebounds) and Jeremiah Robinson-Earl (15 points, eight rebounds) capped their summers with near double-doubles.
With Summer League leader Tre Jones sitting out the final game, San Antonio got offense from multiple sources with Eric Demers, Justin Turner, Joe Wieskamp, and DaQuan Jeffries all crossing double digits in points.
Cavaliers 88, Suns 85
Lamar Stevens hit what would be the game-winning basket en route to 12 points in the game. Jaylen Hands and Matt Ryan had 15 points each for the Cavs. Tre Scott led the team with 16 points. Evan Mobley, the No. 3 pick, did not play in this game. Hands, Ryan and Stevens could get looks for a training camp invite in Cleveland.
The Suns will take a look at Michael Frazier, who tallied 17 points and went 5-10 from three-point range. Kyle Alexander led the team with 18 points and 14 rebounds. He may get a training camp invite for the defending Western conference champions.
Knicks 104, Hawks 85
The Knicks are looking really smart in trading out of their first-round draft spots based on the performances of Quentin Grimes and Miles McBride in Summer League. The duo combined for 45 points in a big win over the Hawks, but the most impressive stat line is their 11-20 mark from deep. The Knicks lacked shooting last season and appear to have successfully addressed that issue. The team somehow shot 44.7 percent from three-point range in this game despite a 3-14 performance from Immanuel Quickley.
The Hawks held Jalen Johnson out of this game, but Sharife Cooper played. He struggled, going 3-11 from the field en route to six points, two assists and two rebounds. Javin DeLaurier was the big performer in this one for Atlanta, recording 18 points and seven rebounds.
Pistons 79, Magic 78
Luka Garza, who recently inked a two-way deal with the Pistons, has been a revelation in Summer League. He put up 21 points and 15 rebounds in Detroit’s close win over Orlando and will hope to get enough playing time at the next level to build on his skills. His defense still needs work, but Garza is proving to be a steal in the second round. Saben Lee, who has also shined in Summer League, added 19 points and eight assists.
The Magic did not play Jalen Suggs or Franz Wagner in this game, but both have flashed their potential in Vegas and have fans excited for what they’ll do this season. South Carolina rookie Hassani Gravett contributed 19 points off the bench in the loss.
Grizzlies 104, Clippers 95
Olivier Sarr and Sam Merrill are playing their way into training camp invites at Summer League. Sarr put up 18 points and 13 rebounds in the team’s Vegas finale, while Merrill added 20 points, five rebounds and three assists. The Grizzlies did not play Ziaire Williams, who has struggled in Summer League so far.
The Clippers got good production from BJ Boston, who continues to impress off the bench. The Kentucky guard tallied 20 points on 8-14 shooting. Keon Johnson had a rough game, going 1-7 and finishing with just four points.
Bulls 99, Hornets 74
Ayo Dosunmu is showing he’s capable of being an immediate contributor in Chicago. The guard had another stellar Summer League effort with 19 points on 7-14 shooting. All five Bulls starters reached double figures in the massive victory. This is setting up to be a big season in Chicago, and there could be some members of this Summer League squad who could land two-way deals or training camp invites.
The Hornets struggled from the jump in this one. JT Thor was solid but the rest of the crew did not offer much support. Kai Jones flashed his potential but wasn’t able to defend consistently. LiAngelo Ball has been okay for most of the Vegas event but was way off in this game with a 3-13 shooting performance. He missed all five of his three-point attempts.