You may have Saturday circled on your calendar. That’s the day Markelle Fultz and Lonzo Ball face off in potentially the best rookie point guard duel this century.
NBA Summer League scores 2017: Markelle Fultz, Jayson Tatum shine in Summer League debuts
Some of the NBA’s best rookie prospects showcased their talent on Monday night.
Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
But while you wait for the weekend to come around, the NBA gave us an equally enticing frosh showdown between Fultz’s 76ers and Jayson Tatum and the Boston Celtics. The 76ers selected the dynamic point guard No. 1 overall in this year’s draft, but they got the pick from Boston. The Celtics proceeded to take Tatum third but admitted they would have taken him first even if they kept the top overall pick.
The result was a show-stopping first Summer League game that left all parties yearning for the regular season to start.
Fultz showed his NBA range and touch around the basket, scoring 17 points in his debut performance. He shot only 6-of-16 from the floor but showed spectators why he was regarded as the best all-around player in a loaded draft class.
Tatum didn’t go overlooked, either.
The versatile wing scored 21 points of his own, surpassing Fultz on 8-of-17 shooting while stuffing the stat sheet with seven rebounds, five steals, and three assists. Tatum went on to hit the game-winner via a pull-up mid-range jumper to give Boston its first win in the Summer League this year.
Summer League Monday wasn’t just a two-name day.
Louisville standout Donovan Mitchell lit it up in his first appearance with the Jazz, scoring 23 points on 10-of-17 shooting. Kentucky big man Bam Adebayo pounded the Pacers for 29 points and 10 rebounds, and Josh Huestis and Dakari Johnson combined for 47 points to power the Thunder to a 12-point victory over the Knicks.
Here are Monday night’s results, in case you missed it:
Thunder 99, Knicks 87
- Chasson Randle: 20 points, 6-of-8 shooting
- Frank Ntilikina: DNP - sore right knee
- Josh Huestis: 26 points, 11-of-17 shooting, 4-of-8 on threes, seven rebounds
- Dakari Johnson: 21 points, 9-of-18 shooting, seven rebounds, four assists
- Marcus Georges-Hunt: 20 points, 4-of-6 on threes, five rebounds, four assists
- Dwight Buycks: 20 points, 8-of-19 shooting
- Brandon Paul: 18 points, 7-of-11 shooting, five rebounds
- Dennis Smith Jr.: DNP
Pacers 86, Heat 83
- Bam Adebayo: 29 points, 8-of-14 shooting, 13-of-17 on free throws, 11 rebounds, two blocks
- T.J. Leaf: 19 points, 9-of-17 shooting, 10 rebounds
Miami picked up a big man who can do both:
Celtics 89, 76ers 88
- Jayson Tatum: 21 points, 8-of-17 shooting, seven rebounds, five steals, three assists
- Markelle Fultz: 17 points, 6-of-16 shooting, three blocks
- Jaylen Brown: 29 points, 10-of-16 shooting, 3-of-4 on threes, 14 rebounds
Jazz 87, Spurs 74
- Donovan Mitchell: 23 points, 10-of-17 shooting, 3-of-6 on threes, five assists, three steals
- Dante Exum: 18 points, 7-of-12 shooting, six rebounds, five assists
Utah’s looking pretty smart for trading up in the draft to take Mitchell:
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