2021 NBA Summer League: Sacramento Kings crowned Summer League champions after defeating Boston Celtics

Benyam Kidane

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2021 NBA Summer League: Sacramento Kings crowned Summer League champions after defeating Boston Celtics image

The Sacramento Kings become the first team to win multiple Summer League titles after defeating the Boston Celtics 100-67 at Thomas & Mack Center. 

The Kings finished their stint in Vegas undefeated after a monster second-half performance, outscoring the Celtics 56-31 in the final 20 minutes.


 

Louis King led the Kings with 21 points, while Jahmi'us Ramsey added 16 and Matt Coleman III had 14. 

Carsen Edwards was the Celtics' leading scorer in the night with 15 points, while Aaron Nesmith added 12 points and six rebounds.

Let's jump into the key takeaways from the championship game:

Louis King named MVP

King, who is on a two-way contract with the Kings, was the star of the championship game with 21 points, three rebounds and five steals, shooting 8-of-18 from the field. 


The Kings came out flat to open the championship game falling behind 12-2, but King's offence kept them in he contest, scoring 10 of his 21 points in the first quarter.

Davion Mitchell's defence is next level

It might just be Summer League, but Mitchell passes the eye test. 

His on-ball defence throughout the tournament has been nothing short of aggressive and he brought the heat in the championship game, putting the clamps on Celtics guard Payton Pritchard. 

Just look at the activity from the No. 9 overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft. 

Pritchard came into the final averaging 20.3 points per game for the Celtics in Vegas, but Mitchell held him to just six points on 0-of-6 from the 3-point line.

Mitchell had a relatively quiet night offensively with nine points and seven assists on 3-of-12 shooting, but his defensive effort stood out all night as he set the tone for his teammates. 

Kings lock down

The Celtics came into the championship game undefeated winning their games by an average margin of 21 points, but the Kings stifled them throughout the second half, holding them to just 31 points on 9-of-30 shooting (30 percent) and outscored them 38-4 in points off turnovers, finishing the game with 18 steals.

Emanuel Terry and Louis King had five steals each as the Kings hounded the Celtics on defence, forcing them into 28 turnovers on the night. 

The Kings turned it into a track meet as they outscored the Celtics 24-4 in fastbreak points.

Terry makes his case

The Kings currently don't have an available roster spot for Emanuel Terry, but he gave them plenty to think about in the championship game. 

The 24-year-old big man gave them a huge boost off the bench with nine points and 15 rebounds, including seven on the offensive glass, adding five steals with his hustle and activity creating plenty of problems for the Celtics.

He led the second unit effort which outscored the Celtics reserves by 29 points. Matt Coleman III finished with 14 points on a perfect 6-of-6 from the field and 2-of-2 from deep, while Ade Murkey finished with 10 points. 

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Benyam Kidane

Benyam Kidane Photo

Benyam Kidane is a senior NBA editor and has been covering the league for The Sporting News since 2016. In his spare time you can find him watching Allen Iverson highlights on repeat.