NBA Summer League: Five takeaways from Thunder's loss to 76ers in Salt Lake City finale
Tre Mann rejected a screen from Jeremiah Robinson-Earl, and then Mann launched what would’ve been a game-winning 3-pointer to beat the buzzer.
It bricked.
The Thunder, after a 2-0 Summer League start, dropped its third and final game in Salt Lake City 80-79 to the 76ers on Thursday. Philadelphia’s Isaiah Joe, who scored a game-high 19 points, put the Sixers ahead late in the game with an off-balance 3-pointer.
Mann made his Summer League debut Thursday after missing the first two games due to health and safety protocols.
Mann was a little loose with the ball, but his patented step-back was in mid-season form. He got to his spots, but his shot just wasn’t falling.
The Thunder sophomore guard scored 13 points on 5-of-14 shooting.
The Thunder, having completed its Salt Lake City Summer League schedule, is headed to Las Vegas, where all 30 teams will be competing.
The Thunder will tip-off against Jabari Smith Jr. and the Rockets at 7 p.m. Saturday on ESPN2.
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Veteran crew
Thunder Summer League coach Kameron Woods started four sophomores — Mann, Josh Giddey, Aaron Wiggins, Robinson-Earl — and one third-year player in Aleksej Pokusevski.
It’s rare to see a Summer League game without a rookie in the starting five.
Rookies Jalen Williams, Jaylin Williams and Ousmane Dieng came off the bench. Chet Holmgren (rest) was out.
The veteran crew got off to a slow start. They scored eight points in seven minutes in the first quarter.
Pokusevski started the game with a dunk, and he hit a big 3-pointer midway through the fourth quarter to give the Thunder a six-point lead.
Pokusevski turned in the best game of his summer so far. He scored 14 points on 5-of-9 shooting.
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Shades of SGA
At the draft, Jalen Williams said Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is a player Williams had studied.
You can already see glimpses of SGA in Williams’ game.
Williams, the rookie guard out of Santa Clara, plays with a similar probing tempo around the rim. He uses his length for crafty finishes, and like SGA, Williams rarely appears to be in a hurry.
After going 13-of-20 in his first two Summer League games, Williams shot 2-of-7 Thursday night against the Sixers.
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Precision passing
Giddey put together a highlight passing reel.
In the second quarter, Giddey backed down his defender on the baseline, and then he whipped a left-handed pass to the opposite corner for a Wiggins 3-pointer.
Later in the quarter, Giddey fired a diagonal baseball pass from the left wing to Mann, who splashed a 3-pointer from the right corner.
In the third quarter, Giddey found Robinson-Earl unde the basket on a no-look dime.
Giddey played all three Salt Lake City Summer League games, which came on back-to-back-to-back nights.
His loudest moment from Thursday night was a posterizing dunk over Malik Ellison. Giddey was whistled for a technical after staring Ellison down.
A tech?! Worth it tho https://t.co/RJi00KEVR5
— josh giddey (@joshgiddey) July 8, 2022
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Tip-ins
▶ Holmgren, who was out Thursday, will be available to play in the Las Vegas Summer League.
▶ Former Thunder forward Charlie Brown Jr. is on Philadelphia’s Summer League team. Brown (rest) was out Thursday night.
▶ Dieng showed some intriguing flashes. He had a smooth Euro-step in the second quarter that resulted in an easy layup. The 6-foot-10 wing isn’t very quick, but he’s got smooth movements for how tall he is.
▶ Dieng hit a deep 3-pointer in the third quarter. He’s going to get plenty of reps this season, whether it’s with the Blue or Thunder.
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This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Philadelphia 76ers beat OKC Thunder in NBA Summer League
