Day 5 of the MGM Resorts NBA Summer League is upon us, as teams begin to wind down the first four games of their schedule.
Expect the competition to ramp up as the top eight teams through four games will qualify for the tournament, while the remaining 24 teams will each play in one consolation game. There have been a number of standout performers and impressive highlights through four days and Day 5 should be no different.
Check below for a few things to keep an eye on during today's action:
Team Croatia (0-2) vs. Oklahoma City Thunder (1-1)
OKC's highflying duo
The Thunder earned their first win of the summer after nearly relinquishing a 31-point lead to the Sixers during Day 4.
Kevin Hervey led the way for OKC with a monster 17-point, 17-rebound double-double while rookie Luguentz Dort scored 15 points and Hamidou Diallo finished with 14 points. Diallo, the 2019 Slam Dunk champion, scored a couple of his buckets in electrifying fashion.
The Slam Dunk Champ for a reason.
— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) July 8, 2019
💥 @hamidoudiallo 💥 pic.twitter.com/hWmJKdGD1z
Welcome to the Diallo Dunk Show. #NBASummerLeague » @hamidoudiallo pic.twitter.com/YrSqS3VArQ
— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) July 8, 2019
In addition to Diallo, Deonte Burton's athleticism is capable of electrifying crowds during warm-ups.
Deonte Burton’s dunk package is INSANE! 🔥🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/EcysNtNyZx
— NBA Summer League (@NBASummerLeague) July 8, 2019
And for big plays in games
Thanks, but no thanks.
— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) July 8, 2019
❌@DeonteBurton ❌ pic.twitter.com/AG0dftl3bI
Miami Heat (2-0) vs. Orlando Magic (1-1)
Miami used the No. 13 pick in this year's draft to select Kentucky's Tyler Herro, who has certainly looked the part of a lottery pick this summer. After a few impressive performances in the California Classic, Herro has averaged 19.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 2.0 steals through his first two games in Las Vegas.
Mo Bamba, the No. 6 pick in the 2018 draft, appeared in 47 games with the Magic before an injury cut his rookie season short. Bamba played in Orlando's Summer League opener, scoring 12 points (on 5-for-7 shooting) in 24 minutes of action but sat out of the team's second game.
Should the second-year big man take the floor again during Day 5, his development is certainly something to watch.
Indiana Pacers (0-2) vs. Atlanta Hawks (0-2)
De'Andre Hunter, the No. 4 overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft made his long-awaited Summer League debut Sunday as he had officially become a member of the Hawks roster. The game itself, however, wasn't the best performance from anyone in a Hawks uniform as the rookie scored six points (on 2-for-8 shooting) in 20 minutes of action off the bench and Atlanta suffered a 90-66 loss at the hands of Minnesota.
Look for Hunter, who has tremendous upside, to bounce back from a rather rough opening performance with a reminder of why the Hawks moved up to select him so high in this year's draft.
Portland Trail Blazers (1-1) vs. Utah Jazz (1-1)
Portland's Gary Trent Jr. has been prolific and efficient through two games – he leads the Blazers with 20.5 points per game (on 54.2% shooting) while playing 24.0 minutes per game. Trent and Anfernee Simons (15.5 ppg, 44.0 FG%) are both heading into their second year with Portland and are showing promise to be solid scorers in the team's rotation this upcoming season.
Phoenix Suns (1-0) vs. Memphis Grizzlies (2-0)
Brandon Clarke impressed in his Summer League debut with Memphis, scoring 17 points (on 7-for-11 shooting) to go along with four rebounds, two blocks and an assist. He and the Grizzlies look to continue their perfect start as attempt to hand Phoenix its first loss of the summer.
In the Suns lone Summer League game, they were led by 23 points from James Palmer Jr. and a 10-point, 11-rebound double-double from Landry Nnoko. The team has elected to sit No. 11 overall pick Cam Johnson for the entirety of the league, so we'll have to wait a few months before seeing him in action.
Denver Nuggets (1-0) vs. Boston Celtics (2-0)
Tacko Time
While the Nuggets look to earn their second win, plenty of attention will be on Celtics undrafted centre Tacko Fall.
At 7-foot-6, Fall is the tallest player in this year's summer league and is averaging 9.0 points (on 88.8% shooting) while playing limited minutes. His size has afforded him a number of opportunities to make plays that only he is capable of.
TACKO TIME 🌮🌮🌮 pic.twitter.com/6gl9WmebWE
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) July 9, 2019
🗣️GIVE THE PEOPLE WHAT THEY WANT pic.twitter.com/rGK6CT7nWe
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) July 9, 2019
New York Knicks (0-2) vs. Toronto Raptors (0-2)
Canadians take centre stage
No. 3 overall pick RJ Barrett (Toronto, ON) headlines a group of five Canadians on the Summer League rosters of the Knicks and Raptors.
Along with Barrett, the Knicks have No. 47 overall pick Ignas Brazdeikis (Oakville, ON), who has been nothing short of impressive through his first two games. After scoring 30 points in an overtime loss to the Suns on Day 3, Brazdeikis is now averaging 17.5 points (on 48.1% shooting) to go along with 6.0 rebounds and 1.0 assists per game.
Barrett has struggled out the gate, but will likely become more comfortable as time goes on.
As for the Raptors, who represent both Toronto and Canada as a whole, Chris Boucher (Montreal, QC), Lindell Wigginton (Dartmouth, NS) and Duane Notice (Toronto, ON) are suiting up for the team this summer.
Boucher, the 2019 G League MVP, continues to make strides in his game – in his first two games this summer, he's averaged 22.5 points (on 41.9% shooting) to go along with 12.5 rebounds and 1.0 blocks per game.
With plenty of Canadian star power in this matchup, expect the country to be well represented.
Sacramento Kings (2-0) vs. Houston Rockets (0-2)
Over four years at Campbell University, 5-foot-9 point guard Chris Clemons scored 3,225 points, averaging 30.1 per game as a senior.
After going undrafted, Clemons accepted a spot on the Rockets Summer League team and has continued his high-scoring ways. Through the first two games, Clemons has averaged 23.5 points (on 41.1% shooting) and 3.0 steals per games.
As Houston seeks its first win of the summer, Clemons will look to keep up his prolific ways as he seeks to make a name for himself at the next level.
LA Clippers (1-1) vs. Washington Wizards (1-1)
After a busy offseason, the Clippers draft-night acquisition of big man Mfiondu Kabengele (Burlington, ON) could possibly go under the radar.
It absolutely shouldn't.
Kabengele has been more than solid through his first two Summer League games, posting averages of 20.0 points (on 50.0% shooting) to go along with 7.5 rebounds and 1.0 blocks per game. As he and the Clippers look to emerge among the top eight teams in the league, expect Kabengele to continue to shoulder the offensive load while showing aggression on the boards.
