Nuggets cruise to victory

Richard Roby and Coby Karl each scored 16 points to help lead Denver to an 88-70 victory over Dallas in the opening game of the NBA Vegas Summer League.
Karl added seven points and five assists, while Ty Lawson had 11 points and five assists in the victory.
Former South Florida star Dominique Jones had a game-high 19 points for the Mavericks.
Phoenix and Houston will play in the second game of the opening day, coming up in just a few minutes.

Proud papa

George Karl, the head coach of the Denver Nuggets, was on hand to watch his team play.
The Nuggets just so happen to feature Karl’s son Coby.
The elder Karl, who has lost a great deal of weight as he battles cancer, came over to wait outside the makeshift locker room (a curtain pulled around an area in the back of the arena) to talk to his son.
He gave Coby a few brief instructions, then shook his hand and beamed as only the father of a kid who just played an outstanding game could.

Just like old times

Romel Beck saw very limited action for Denver. In fact, the former Rebel played just the final 2:30 of a blowout victory.
He made the most of the time, though.
Beck caught a pass deep in the left corner and buried a 3-pointer in the closing seconds.
He said he just found out four days ago he would be playing for the Nuggets in the summer league and is trying to learn the system on the fly. Beck, who was wearing a Rebel basketball shirt as he left the arena, said his goal this week is to “just play hard, have fun and maybe get seen by some scouts around here or in Europe.”
He has played in Las Vegas several times through the years, both in the summer league and with the Mexican national team.
He said it always feels good to be here.
“I always feel very comfortable here. Every time I come here to play, I see so many familiar faces and it feels good.”

If at first you don’t succeed…

Former Colorado star Richard Roby missed what would have been a highlight-reel dunk in the first half.
He came flying in from the right wing and glided through the air, only to clang the ball off the back of the rim and draw a gasp and a laugh from the crowd.
He atoned for the gaffe later in the game when he took a pass from Coby Karl and drove straight down the lane for a one-handed throwdown.

More sightings

A couple of sharp-shooting former NBA players were taking in the early action at the summer league from the VIP section at the southeast corner of Cox Pavilion.
Chuck Person and Tracy Murray had a conversation one can only assume had to do with 3-point shooting.
Over at the announce table, Kevin McHale was calling the action for NBATV.