NBA Summer League Day 2: Ex-Las Vegas prep stars cooking at home
NBA SUMMER LEAGUE
Who: All 30 NBA teams
When: Saturday to July 17
Where: Thomas & Mack Center and Cox Pavilion
Tickets: Start at $35 for children and seniors and $45 for adults for single-day pass
Saturday’s scores
Miami 99, Boston 88
Oklahoma City 91, Dallas 80
Philadelphia 110, New York 101
Detroit 89, Orlando 78
Memphis 87, Chicago 80
Indiana 91, Washington 83
Milwaukee 84, Phoenix 75
Utah 105, Los Angeles Clippers 99
Sunday’s schedule
Toronto vs. Cleveland, 12:30 p.m., Cox Pavilion, NBAtv
Los Angeles Lakers vs. Charlotte, 1 p.m., Thomas & Mack, ESPN2
New York vs. Brooklyn, 2:30 p.m., Cox Pavilion, NBAtv
Detroit vs. Houston, 3 p.m., Thomas & Mack, ESPN2
Boston vs. Washington, 4:30 p.m., Cox Pavilion, NBAtv
San Antonio vs. Portland, 5 p.m., Thomas & Mack, ESPN2
Atlanta vs. Denver, 6:30 p.m., Cox Pavilion, NBAtv
New Orleans vs. Golden State, 7 p.m., Thomas & Mack, ESPN2
Stars of the day
Orlando Robinson, Miami Heat center
The former Centennial and Fresno State star started the second day of the Summer League with a statement performance.
Robinson scored 36 points on 13-of-22 shooting and grabbed 11 rebounds to lead the Heat to a win over the Celtics at Cox Pavilion. He added four assists and two blocks and made seven of eight free throws.
The 6-foot-10-inch center appeared in 31 games last season with Miami, averaging 13.7 minutes per game. He recently signed a standard contract with the Heat for the upcoming season.
Jaden Hardy, Dallas Mavericks guard
The home court continued to favor past prep stars, as Hardy, a former Coronado standout, had a strong opener in his second Summer League stint.
The 6-3 guard led Dallas with 24 points in its loss to the Thunder. He grabbed six rebounds and made four 3-pointers.
Hardy averaged 28.8 points in 11 games with the Texas Legends in the G League last season, prompting a call to the big club. He averaged 8.8 points and 14.8 minutes in 48 games with the Mavericks. He a was five-star recruit from Coronado and played with the G League Ignite before Dallas drafted him in the second round in 2022.
Kenneth Lofton Jr., Memphis Grizzlies forward
The 6-6 Lofton scored 23 points on a 57.1 percent shooting to lead the Grizzlies past the Bulls. He added four rebounds and three blocks.
Lofton, an all-conference player at Louisiana Tech, was the G League Rookie of the Year last season.
He appeared in 24 games with the Grizzlies and made history in his lone start. Lofton scored 42 points and grabbed 14 rebounds in a 115-110 loss to Oklahoma City in April to become the first NBA player to have at least 40 points and 10 rebounds in his debut since starts were tracked as an official stat in the 1970-71 season.
Faces in the crowd
Fresh off signing a three-year, $126 million contract with the Mavericks, eight-time All-Star guard Kyrie Irving was courtside at the Thomas & Mack Center to see Dallas’ first Summer League game.
Irving was all smiles sitting next to Mavericks coach Jason Kidd, owner Mark Cuban and teammate Tim Hardaway Jr.
A pair of former No. 1 overall draft picks stopped by the Thomas & Mack. Cade Cunningham, the top pick in the 2021 draft, was in attendance to see the Pistons play the Magic, as was last year’s top pick, Paolo Banchero.
Rich Paul, founder of the agency Klutch Sports Group, and NBA Hall of Famer Jerry West returned for the second straight day. Following Hardy’s game, Paul found his way next to West on the baseline, where the two chatted during the Orlando-Detroit game.
At Cox Pavilion, Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo enjoyed a dominating performance from fellow big man and teammate Robinson. Adebayo was joined by coach Erik Spoelstra.
Celtics star Jayson Tatum was also courtside cheering on his Boston teammates.
Alex Wright Review-Journal
