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Summer League Six-Pack | Clutch Finish Seals Spot in Quarters

Snapshot:

When it comes to Las Vegas, there’s something to be said for letting the hot hand ride.

At the moment, in the context of the MGM Resorts NBA Summer League, the 76ers represent the proverbial hot hand.

Seeded 30th out of 30 teams, and winless prior to the start of tournament play, the Sixers have rattled off two mettle-testing, two-point wins. The latest came Saturday at Thomas & Mack Center, 91-89, over the 14-seed Milwaukee Bucks.

The Sixers will face the winner of the second-round Memphis Grizzlies - Utah Jazz match-up Sunday at 10 PM EST, with a berth to the semi-finals on the line.

Down the stretch of Saturday’s back-and-forth, survive-and-advance bout, the Sixers overcame an eight-point deficit with just over a minute to go, thanks to some heady plays from veteran members of their roster.

After an Isaiah Miles (12 pts, 2 3fg, 4 reb) three sliced the margin to four points with 43.7 seconds left, Furkan Korkmaz (19 pts, 4 reb) drew a pivotal charge in transition that got the Sixers the ball back.

The 2016 no. 26 pick then proceeded to bait Milwaukee’s Sterling Brown, who last season played in 54 contests for the Bucks, into fouling in 3-point territory. Korkmaz then hit two of the three ensuing free throws to make it an 89-87 game.

Back the other way, Sixers’ point guard Demetrius Jackson (9 pts, 5 ast, 3 stl) came up with a huge block on a driving Travis Trice II. The swat paved the way for a runout and-1 lay-up from Korkmaz, a conversion that, all said and done, gave the Sixers a 90-89 edge.

Milwaukee wouldn’t score again, and the Sixers kept their timely roll going.

Standout Showing(s):

Sure, Furkan Korkmaz, who made multiple winning plays when Saturday’s game was on the line, deserves recognition in this space.

But so too do a few other contributors.

Let’s first shine the spotlight on Demetrius Jackson. At various stages of Saturday’s tilt, his downhill attacks on the rim helped open up the Sixers’ offense. His defense, meanwhile, was steady throughout.

The Sixers’ reserve corps also turned in a crucial performance. The unit was instrumental in helping the Sixers outscore Milwaukee by nine points in the third quarter, the Sixers’ best period of the night.

The Sixers’ second-stringers combined for 16 points during the frame. For the evening, the bench produced 40 total points.

In addition to Isaiah Miles, Elijah Bryant (8 pts), Norvel Pelle (8 pts, 7 reb, 14 min), and Askia Booker (7 pts, 5 reb, 3 ast) also stood out among the Sixers’ back ups.

Sixers Social:

Zhaire Smith, this year’s top pick for the Sixers, finished with eight points, five rebounds, two assists, one steal, and a plus-8 rating Saturday.

His lone 3-pointer against Milwaukee was a sweet one, and came at the expense of a familiar face hailing from the Big 5.

Quote of Note:

Following his clutch efforts in crunch time, Furkan Korkmaz received walk-off interview treatment from ESPN.

From the Other Side:

Former Sixer and Delaware G-Leaguer Christian Wood had himself a game. He racked up 27 points on 10 for 15 shooting, hauled in 12 rebounds, and turned aside five shots.

Donte DiVincenzo, the Most Outstanding Player from this past spring’s NCAA Tournament, looked rusty. The Villanova product was playing in just his second summer game, and went 0 for 5 from the field (all of his attempts were threes). He committed three turnovers as well.

On Tap:

The Sixers will take on either Jaren Jackson Jr. and the Memphis Grizzlies, or the Utah Jazz in a Sunday quarterfinal match-up.