The final day of the “regular season” in the 2023 NBA Summer League will take place Friday, where 16 teams will be playing their fourth game of the showcase. The Utah Jazz and Miami Heat have the best chance of making the semifinal round Sunday, where two spots are still up for grabs. The Jazz simply have to win and they’re in, while the Heat need to win and hope they surpass the Brooklyn Nets on point differential.
Here we’ll be recapping all the games for Friday, July 14.
NBA Summer League recaps
Wizards 105, Thunder 89
The big news from this game was Johnny Davis, who put up 20 points. Davis was non-existent as a rookie for the Wizards, but he’s going to be a key piece in their rebuild. He’s expected to have a bigger role this year. Bilal Coulibaly was also solid with 19 points and four blocks. For the Thunder, Jared Butler led the way with 22 points and four made triples.
Clippers 102, 76ers 91
Kobe Brown may have earned himself a role in LA’s rotation after this performance. He went for 35 points, eight rebounds, three assists and four steals, hitting seven three-point shots in the process. The 76ers had five players in double figures but Terquavion Smith was not one of them. He struggled in this game but had a great Summer League overall.
Knicks 97, Celtics 89
Charlie Brown Jr. led the Knicks with 27 points, but the bigger story was Trevor Keels breaking out with 20 points with four made triples. Keels could be a bigger piece in New York’s bench rotation this season. For Boston, Dalano Banton led the way with 18 points and nine rebounds.
Mavericks 112, Pacers 91
Dallas was without Jaden Hardy due to a shoulder contusion. A.J. Lawson and Jordan Walker combined for 45 points for the Mavericks in the win. Ben Sheppard was the key contributor for Indiana in this game with 19 points on five made triples.
Nuggets 112, Heat 81
Hunter Tyson and Julian Strawther combined for 54 points for the Nuggets, who look like they have found a few rotation players who could replace Bruce Brown. The Heat failed to take advantage of the opportunity, shooting just 38.2% from the floor. The Nets, who held a strong point differential, are likely in the playoffs due to Miami’s loss.
Pistons 79, Spurs 73
Ausar Thompson had a double-double with 18 points and 14 rebounds for the Pistons. We’ll see if the rookie gets more run in the consolation game for Detroit. Blake Wesley had a rough showing for the Spurs, shooting 3-15 from the field. Dominick Barlow had a big game for San Antonio with 19 points and 11 boards.
Jazz 97, Suns 93
The Jazz have clinched a playoff spot with a win, going 4-0 in the main slate of Summer League. Johnny Juzang finished with 24 points, while Luka Samanic added 22 points, six rebounds and four assists in the win. Grant Sheffield led the Suns with 23 points.
Grizzlies 100, Lakers 69
Jake LaRavia and David Roddy had strong showings in this contest, combining for 41 points on 15-25 shooting. Both second-year guys are expected to be important rotation players for the Grizzlies. The Lakers rested Max Christie, and it was a rough showing for the other key guys. Jalen Hood-Shcifino and D’Moi Hodge combined for 13 points on 5-29 shooting from the floor in the blowout loss.