LAS VEGAS — A look at top performers from Day 7 in Las Vegas:
Bryn Forbes, San Antonio Spurs
Forbes did his best Patty Mills impersonation Thursday afternoon, firing away liberally from deep (4 of 11) and basically everywhere else on his way to a 29-point performance in the Spurs’ 86-81 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans. He shot just 8 of 22 from the field but filled in the cracks from the free-throw line, sinking nine of his 11 shots from the stripe.
Okaro White, Miami Heat
It might have been easy to forget about the second-year big man with all of the attention being paid to prized rookie Bam Adebayo. But White picked up the pace for a Heat team playing without Adebayo, finishing with 23 points and eight rebounds to lead the Heat to a Friday quarterfinal matchup against the Memphis Grizzlies.
Wayne Selden, Memphis Grizzlies
Selden kept the Grizzlies unbeaten, scoring 33 points in 33 minutes (on just 17 shots) in a tight 102-98 win over the Phoenix Suns. Selden, who played quality minutes down the stretch on a playoff team this past season in Memphis, got help from Wade Baldwin (21 points on 8-for-11 shooting) as the Grizzlies continue to grit and grind their way through the competition here in the Las Vegas Summer League.
Dennis Smith Jr., Dallas Mavericks
Smith Jr. got more oohs and aahs from the Thomas & Mack Center crowd for a second-half dunk he missed. “I got fouled, they’ve got to give me that one,” a smiling Smith Jr. said afterwards. He did his best work, however, working over the Sacramento Kings for an 83-76 win. Smith Jr. rallied the Mavs back from an early nine-point deficit, finishing his night with 25 points, seven rebounds and two assists.
Justin Jackson, Sacramento Kings
De’Aaron Fox played just seven minutes and 31 seconds before an ankle injury sidelined the Kings’ point guard, leaving fellow first-round pick Jackson to handle the heavy lifting in the loss to the Mavericks. Jackson led the way with 25 points, knocking down nine of his 19 shots from the floor (2 for 7 from long distance). He showed off his all-around game and wasn’t at all shy about stepping into the spotlight.
Kay Felder, Cleveland Cavaliers
The second-year point guard seemed to take his matchup with Lonzo Ball personally. He was charged up for the head-to-head matchup and responded with a game-high 25 points in the losing effort. Felder’s role with the Cavaliers this season could increase if he can defend and improve his playmaking skills. But he’s the focus of the team in Las Vegas.
Lonzo Ball, Los Angeles Lakers
Ball might not want to look at his 3-point shooting percentage when the Summer League ends. He had another woeful performance (2 of 10) from there in the Lakers’ 94-83 victory over Cleveland. But he delivered everywhere else, posting his second triple-double (16 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds) while showing off impeccable instincts and facilitating for everyone else the way you’d expect a point guard to do on this stage.
Sekou Smith is a veteran NBA reporter and NBA TV analyst. You can e-mail him here, find his archive here and follow him on Twitter.
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