NBA Summer League Day 6 blog: UNLV’s Derrick Jones sidelined by groin injury
Play has begun at Cox Pavilion and Thomas & Mack Center for Day 6 of the NBA Summer League, the first of the Summer League’s elimination tournament. We’re live-blogging from the arena’s all day.
Follow our live blog below.
8:30 p.m.
Houston coach Mike D’Antoni and players Trevor Ariza and Jason Terry also are on hand in the Thomas & Mack Center for the Rockets-Warriors game.
Terry talked and signed autographs for a few fans in the lower seats.
8:14 p.m.
Jason Kidd is in the Cox Pavilion watching his current team play his former one.
Kidd, the head coach of the Bucks, spent eight seasons of his long NBA career with the Mavericks. He was part of the Dallas team that won the NBA Finals in 2011.
The Mavericks lead the Bucks 45-35 early in the third quarter.
7:35 p.m.
Houston teammates James Harden and Patrick Beverley just walked into the Thomas & Mack Center to take in the Rockets-Warriors game.
Harden recently signed a four-year, $118.1 million contract extension with the Rockets. He announced his withdrawal from consideration for a spot on the final 12-man USA Basketball roster at the 2016 Olympics in June.
In other news, 76ers center Joel Embiid is catching his third consecutive game in the Thomas & Mack Center. The third overall pick in the 2014 draft must be anxious to get on the court. He is expected to make his NBA debut this season after recovering from various injuries.
7:24 p.m.
Mark Cuban is in the building.
The Mavericks owner is in the Cox Pavilion to watch his team play Rashad Vaughn and the Bucks.
Milwaukee leads 7-4 almost halfway through the first quarter after a Vaughn three.
7:06 p.m.
Tyronn Lue still has not seen “Believeland.”
The Cavaliers head coach, whose team ended a 52-year championship drought in Cleveland by winning this year’s NBA Finals, admitted he has yet to catch the ESPN documentary. The film goes over the heartbreak experienced by the city during the drought.
Lue was watching the Cavaliers play Boston in the Cox Pavilion. Cleveland won 98-94.
5:23 p.m.
Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert is in the Cox Pavilion to watch his team play the Celtics.
Boston point guard Marcus Smith is sitting courtside, and Celtics coach Brad Stevens and GM Danny Ainge are also watching.
Before the game, Timberwolves point guard Tyus Jones caught up with old Duke teammate Jahlil Okafor after Minnesota’s 80-71 win over the Spurs. The two combined to help Duke win an NCAA title in 2015.
4:15 p.m.
Meek Mill is a dedicated fan of his hometown sports.
The Philadelphia-born rapper is in the Thomas & Mack Center for the lightly-attended 76ers-D-League Select game.
Even with two of Philadelphia’s top players — No. 1 pick Ben Simmons and former UNLV star Christian Wood — sitting because of “rest,” Milly has found a seat in the crowd.
No sign of Drake. … yet.
The Toronto Raptors, the tournament’s top seed, play tomorrow. Maybe Drizzy will make a guest appearance then?
3:59 p.m.
Derrick Jones is back at UNLV for the NBA Summer League, but the former Rebel hasn’t seen any action for the winless Sacramento Kings (0-4). The high-flying Jones has been grounded by a pulled groin he said he suffered about a week ago.
Jones sat on the end of the Kings’ bench in sweatpants during Sacramento’s 81-61 loss to the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday afternoon at Cox Pavilion.
The 6-foot-7-inch forward, who wasn’t picked in the 2016 NBA Draft, said he was cleared to play Tuesday by the Kings and hopes to make his Summer League debut Friday in Sacramento’s 1 p.m. game at Cox Pavilion against the loser of today’s Spurs-Timberwolves game.
“I’m hoping to play but it’s not 100 percent (certain). It’s still a question mark,” said Jones, 19. “(The injury) was nothing serious. I’m good.”
Jones averaged 11.5 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.3 blocks in 30 games, including 15 starts, as a freshman last season for the Rebels.
He was declared ineligible by the NCAA after his ACT score was vacated in late February by the American College Test because of concerns with the Baltimore exam site.
Jones plans to work out in Cleveland with his agent after the Summer League to prepare for training camp with the Kings and is confident he’ll make the team.
“I love my chances,” he said. “My athleticism takes me a long way but what people don’t really realize is I’m a basketball player, not just a jumper. The game is going to come to me. Whenever I get open shots, I’m going to hit them and I’m going to get to the rim as usual.
“I never doubt myself. I know I can play at any level. For the NBA level, I’ve just got to get stronger. It’s going to come with time, with me putting in time in the weight room.”
3:54 p.m.
#24 Minnesota (0-3) leads #9 San Antonio (2-1) 47-36 at the half in the Cox Pavilion.
Timberwolves point guard Tyus Jones has matched up several times with Spurs guard Ryan Arcidiacono, in a match-up of the last two Most Outstanding Players of the NCAA Tournament.
Jones had 11 points on 4-7 shooting in the first half to go with four assists and two steals. Arcidiacono scored two points off the bench and grabbed four rebounds.
3:34 p.m.
Ben Simmons, the top pick in this year’s draft, and former UNLV standout Christian Wood are not playing in the 76ers-D-League Select game at the Thomas & Mack Center.
The team cites “rest.”
3:05 p.m.
Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor and minority owner Lizhang Jiang are on hand to watch Minnesota play San Antonio at the Cox Pavilion.
Jiang, who bought shares in the team last month, is the first Chinese owner of an NBA team.
Minnesota guard Zach LaVine and forward Gorgui Dieng are sitting courtside at the game.
Timberwolves top draft pick Kris Dunn is not playing for the second game in a row due to a concussion.
2:58 p.m.
At the conclusion of the Pelicans-Heat game in the Thomas & Mack Center, the sixth overall pick in this year’s draft, Buddy Hield, will sign autographs at the autograph stage.
With 5:30 remaining, New Orleans leads 70-67. The winner plays the Phoenix Suns in the quarterfinals Saturday.
2:20 p.m.
The Miami Heat lead the New Orleans Pelicans 43-36 at halftime in the Thomas & Mack Center. Briante Weber, a second-year player out of Virginia Commonwealth, has a game-high 11 points for the Heat.
Okaro White (Florida State) has 10 points for the Heat.
Buddy Hield, the sixth overall pick in this year’s draft, struggled for the Pelicans. He has two turnovers and is 0-for-5 from the field in the first half. His three points are all from free throws.
1:59 p.m.
Atlanta guard Tim Hardaway Jr. is at the Cox Pavilion watching his team take on Sacramento.
Hardaway Jr. went into the team’s locker room at halftime, with the Hawks up 42-37 over the Kings.
1:01 p.m.
The bracket has begun at the Cox Pavilion.
Sacramento and Atlanta are underway for the first game of the NBA Summer League playoffs.
David Stockton of the Kings, son of John Stockton, tried to put on a show for the crowd in warm-ups, attempting to dunk three times.
Unfortunately for him, the 5-11 guard saw the ball hit the rim and bounce out each time.
Phoenix point guard Tyler Ulis is sitting courtside at the game, watching former Kentucky teammate Willie Cauley-Stein start at center for Sacramento.
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