Golden State earns top seed in tourney

Kent Bazemore and Draymond Green saw limited minutes as rookies during the Golden State Warriors’ playoff run.

Now the two lead the franchise’s summer league team into the first NBA Summer League playoff tournament as the top seed.

The Warriors swept through three pool-play games and earned the top seed by virtue of winning more quarter points than any of the other three unbeaten teams. They have won 10 straight summer league games in Las Vegas dating to 2010.

Golden State outscored its three opponents this year by a total of 30 points with Bazemore (15.7 points per game) and Green (13.3) leading the way. The Warriors open tournament play at 7:30 p.m. Thursday at the Thomas & Mack Center and will play the winner of today’s 7:30 p.m. matchup between the Clippers and Mavericks.

Tournament play opens today with the bottom 12 teams in action. The field’s top 10 seeds receive a bye to Thursday.

Chicago earned the No. 2 seed, followed by Phoenix, the NBA D-League Select team and Charlotte in the top five.

■ LOCALS UPDATE — Bishop Gorman alum Shabazz Muhammad once again struggled to find his rhythm for Minnesota.

The first-round draft pick had seven points on 3-for-10 shooting but made his only 3-point attempt. He also turned the ball over three times.

Those numbers came in the Timberwolves’ 80-71 win over Miami and the Heat’s two players with local connections.

Former UNLV star Anthony Marshall didn’t attempt a shot and totaled three steals, an assist and three turnovers in 14-plus minutes.

Teammate Myck Kabongo, a Findlay Prep product, missed his only field-goal attempt and went 1-for-2 from the line to finish with one point in 6:48.

Former UNLV forward Chace Stanback, with Denver, played the final six minutes of the Nuggets’ blowout loss to Washington. In his first summer league game, Stanback went 1-for-3 from the field for two points.

■ NOT PLAYING FAVORITES — When asked about who he has tried to model his game after, No. 1 draft pick and former UNLV forward Anthony Bennett mentioned a New York Knicks superstar.

“I kinda take a lot of moves from Carmelo Anthony. He’s my favorite player,” the Cavaliers forward said, before retracting the answer just as swiftly.

“Well, now I’ll be going against him, so I can’t say that anymore. But I have taken a couple moves from him.”

■ GREAT FINISH — Portland got a clutch 3-pointer to force overtime, but the Trail Blazers’ luck ran out in the extra session of an 80-78 loss to Chicago.

C.J. McCollum hit a deep 3-pointer from the top of the key to tie the game with 11 seconds left in regulation. Marquis Teague could not win it on the other end for the Bulls as his jumper came up short of the rim.

McCollum finished with 27 points and Teague 25 in a battle of talented point guards.

■ McLEMORE EMERGES — Kings guard Ben McLemore shot 2-for-18 on 3-pointers in his first two summer league games before excelling Tuesday.

The sharp-shooting rookie shot 3-for-6 on 3s and finished 8-for-14 from the field, scoring 26 points in the Kings’ 81-70 loss to the Raptors.

Contact reporter Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com or 702-224-5509. Follow him on Twitter: @adamhilllvrj.