Ex-Findlay standout Joseph playing well for Spurs

He's on a business trip, but Cory Joseph is going to try to find time to check out the old neighborhood while in town.

The former Findlay Prep star guard has played well for the San Antonio Spurs this week in the NBA Summer League. He scored 18 points and dished out five assists in 32 minutes Tuesday to help San Antonio stay undefeated with a 92-81 win over the Los Angeles Lakers at the Thomas & Mack Center.

He has averaged 18 points for the 2-0 Spurs, who play the Los Angeles Clippers at 7 p.m. today at Cox Pavilion.

"It's good to be back," he said. "I'm going to try to get over to the old house while I'm here."

Joseph is referring to the "dorm" he and his Findlay teammates called home in Henderson when they played. The house, which was around the corner from the school, was their bonding nest.

"It was real competitive," he said, recalling the video games and other activities the 10 players participated in when they weren't holding study hall with assistant Todd Simon's wife or doing the dishes. "I was far away from home, and it helped me grow up as a person and as a player."

The 6-foot-3-inch guard from Toronto finished his high school career with the Pilots in 2009-2010, spent a year at Texas, then went pro. He spent part of last season in the D-League before the Spurs signed him. He appeared in 29 games for San Antonio and played sparingly. So this is an important week for Joseph in his development.

"I'm trying to listen to the coaches, play smart and make good decisions," he said. "I've been working on my shot, trying to be more consistent."

■ GAME CALLED - For the first time in summer league history, a game was ended early because of injury.

With the Rockets leading the Trail Blazers 99-88 and 42.8 seconds remaining, Portland's Nolan Smith landed hard behind the basket after being fouled and had to be carried out on a stretcher from Cox Pavilion.

Smith might have suffered a head injury after colliding with the basket support after being fouled. The Blazers' training staff and additional medical personnel spent nearly 15 minutes attending to Smith, a first-round pick of Portland in the 2011 draft.

Smith, who scored 27 points before the injury, was taken to University Medical Center, where CT scans were normal, and he was released late Tuesday. He will miss the team's final three games of the summer league.

■ SELBY'S BIG DAY - Memphis guard Josh Selby had the top scoring performance of the summer league with 35 points in the Grizzlies' 83-77 loss to Washington.

Selby was 12 of 21 from the floor but 7 of 8 from beyond the 3-point arc. He scored 19 in the first half but only four in the third quarter as the Wizards outscored Memphis 25-11.

Contact reporter Steve Carp at scarp@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2913. Follow him on Twitter: @stevecarprj.