Summer League 2021

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Top plays from Wizards Summer League

Jackson Filyo

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Photos: Best of Wizards Summer League

Wizards Postgame Media Availability - 8/16/21

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Wizards: Isaiah Todd (11), Caleb Homesley (9), Xavier Rathan-Mayes (9)

Pacers: Cassius Stanley (19), Keifer Sykes (12), Isaiah Jackson (11)

The Wizards fell to the Pacers 74-65 in their 2021 NBA Summer League finale on Monday afternoon at Cox Pavilion in Las Vegas.

“They were resilient,” Wizards Summer League head coach Mike Miller said postgame. “Even today. We got down and were charging back at the end. We really, really had a good finish and we got to see some guys do some good things at the end. That’s what it’s about. At the end of the day, we want to feel like we had a chance to grow and get better.”

“This was a good group,” Miller continued. “They showed up every day and they worked hard. They had a good focus. If you were going to use one word, and I think I’ve said it after every game – this is a resilient group for a group of guys that have come together.”

While the Wizards’ offense struggled as a whole in the first quarter, Xavier Rathan-Mayes got off to a smooth start. He scored six points in the opening frame, converting on all three of his field goals. Down 30-17 with five minutes left in the first half, Aubrey Dawkins knocked down a 3-pointer to pull Washington back within 10. After failing to convert on 3-pointer in the first quarter, the Wizards knocked down four in the second, including a pair from Isaiah Todd to cut into the Pacers’ advantage. Indiana led by eight at the halftime break.

Caleb Homesley scored five of his nine points in the third quarter, including a three that cut the Wizards’ deficit to six. Indiana then went on a 25-6 run to take a 70-45 lead mid-way through the fourth, but Washington closed the game strong. The Wizards finished on a 15-2 run, capped by a pair of Austin Hollins field goals in the final minute.

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Recap: Wizards fall to Pacers in Summer League finale

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Highlights: Wizards vs. Pacers - 8/16/21

Coming off a win on Sunday, the Wizards are back in action on Monday afternoon, taking on the Pacers at 3:00 P.M. ET at Cox Pavilion in Las Vegas. The game will mark Washington’s fourth and final outing of their time at the 2021 NBA Summer League and will be broadcast nationally on NBATV.

The Wizards will be playing just a day after their best performance of Summer League so far, a 93-83 win over the Bucks in which Corey Kispert scored a team-high 18 points to lead the way for Washington.

“It helps when the ball goes in a little bit but we’ve been really pleased with how gritty (Kispert) has played,” Wizards Summer League head coach Mike Miller said after the Wizards’ win on Sunday. “He’s been on the floor, creating turnovers, getting loose balls, very unselfish offensively creating shots for other people…He’s done a great job using the time and the experience that he’s had over these two weeks.”

While Kispert has drawn praise from Miller over the last week for his high energy and IQ, he had yet to find the shooting stroke that made him the 15th overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft.

Against Milwaukee, Kispert shot 4-7 (.571) from 3-point range.

“Reps are everything for me right now,” Kispert said. “These are the first couple NBA games I have every played…Every time I can get a rep in, get shots up, play on the floor, just being in different situations – it’s great for me.”

While Kispert will be coming off a breakout game, the Wizards Summer League team has been bolstered by steady performances from Mason Jones (13.7 PPG), Caleb Homesley (13.0 PPG), Jaime Echenique (10.0 PPG).

The Pacers enter Monday’s game with a 2-2 record, riding a two-game winning streak. Through four games, Indiana is led by rookie wing Chris Duarte, who was drafted 13th overall in the 2021 NBA Draft. He’s averaging 18.3 points per game on 45.6% from the field and 48.3% from 3-point range – and adding 4.0 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 2.5 steals per game. Duarte is coming off a 19-point performance in the Pacers’ 95-61 win over the Thunder on Sunday.

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Preview: Wizards face Pacers Monday in final Summer League game

Wizards: Corey Kispert (18), Caleb Homesley (15), Mason Jones (14)

Bucks: Jordan Nwora (18), Mamadi Diakite (18), Sando Mamukelashvili (11)

The Wizards defeated the Bucks 93-83 on Sunday afternoon at Thomas &amp; Mack Center in Las Vegas. Washington was led by rookie Corey Kispert, who scored 18 points on 7-12 (.583) shooting and 4-7 (.571) from 3-point range.

“I felt like the game kind of slowed down a little bit for me,” Kispert said postgame. “But also, the shots fell. I probably took the same amount of shots as I did in the first couple games, but when the ball finds the bottom of the net, things feel a little bit easier. It’s just taking it game-by-game.”

Caleb Homesley (15), Mason Jones (14) and Jaime Echenique (13) joined Kispert in double-figure scoring.

After the Bucks scored on their first possession of the game, Kispert knocked down his first 3-point attempt of the night to spark a 10-0 Wizards run. Washington cooled off, finishing the first quarter shooting 5-20 (.250) overall and 2-9 (.222) from 3-point range. Jaime Echenique, who scored 17 points in the Wizards’ last outing against Brooklyn, scored a team-high six points in the first quarter.

The Wizards turned their shooting around in the second quarter, scoring 15 consecutive points, including six consecutive by Mason Jones and a 3-pointer by Echenique to take a 33-25 lead. Kispert scored seven of his 18 points in six minutes the second quarter, shooting 3-4 (.750) from the field. Washington bounced back from its cold start to shoot 5-9 (.556) from three in the second quarter.

The Wizards took a six-point lead into the second half and never looked back, leading by as many as 16 points in the fourth quarter. Homesley scored 13 of his 15 points after halftime, shooting 6-10 (.600) from the field.

“Having played a couple games now and going through some things – the recognition is better,” Wizards Summer League head coach Mike Miller said postgame. “The one thing that we talked about is when we have problems on the floor, we solve them together. I think the trust a little better. I think their feel is a little bit better for what we’re trying to do. I thought we helped each other well tonight during those stretches.”

Next up, the Wizards will play their fourth-and-final Summer League game on Monday afternoon, taking on the Pacers at 3:00 P.M. ET at Cox Pavilion. The game will be broadcast nationally on NBATV.