Victory In Vegas: Kings Pummel C’s For Summer League Championship
Aug 17, 2021, 8:18 PM | Updated: 8:24 pm
(ESPN)
(ESPN)
Sacramento is the first team in Las Vegas Summer League history to win multiple championships
Enjoy it, Sacramento. The Kings are finally champions of the world.
Well, champions of the summer, at least.
Nonetheless, the Sacramento Kings flexed in a big way on the final day of NBA Summer League action as they enjoyed a 100-67 blowout win over the Boston Celtics to claim the 2021 Las Vegas Summer League championship.
Sacramento (5-0) finished summer play with a perfect record after an incredible performance on Tuesday night that featured some of the best defense you can see in a professional basketball game.
Boston wouldn’t waste any time taking an early lead as the Kings trailed by double-digits less than three minutes into the first quarter.
After trailing 14-4 with 6:39 remaining in the period, Sacramento flipped the script behind 10 early points from Louis King and ended the quarter on a 20-6 run to take a 24-20 lead into the second.
Sacramento would stretch its lead to double-digits in the second quarter, leading by as many as 10 points before heading into the halftime break with a 42-34 lead.
Once the second-half started, it was as if the Kings could smell blood in the water as they would burst out of the gates with a 19-8 run to build a 63-49 lead with two minutes remaining in the third period. Sacramento would not let up, continuing to torture the Boston offense by forcing 25 turnovers through three quarters.
The Kings entered the fourth quarter with a 70-49 lead, a lead that would not be relinquished as Sacramento would become the first NBA team to ever win the Las Vegas Summer League multiple times.
Sacramento, who also won the tournament in 2014 behind the likes of Ray McCallum and Ben McLemore, finish play in Las Vegas with a 5-0 record that included an impressive championship performance on Tuesday night at the Thomas & Mack Center.
Boston’s starting lineup included three players that were apart of the rotation during the 2020-21 season: Carsen Edwards, Payton Pritchard and Aaron Nesmith.
Those players would be kept in check as the Sacramento defense would end the night with 18 steals as a team and 28 forced turnovers.
Pritchard, who came into play on Tuesday averaging 20 points per game during Summer League, was held to just six points on three-of-nine shooting from the field to go along with six turnovers.
The former Oregon guard was not on his game during Tuesday’s game against Sacramento, but his old teammate Louis King was in his bag.
King scored a game-high 21 points on eight-of-18 shooting from the field while also swiping five steals in the win, claiming the game’s Most Valuable Player award in the process. The 23-year-old finished Summer League on a tear, scoring 39 points over the final two games of the summer slate.
Jahmi’us Ramsey finished in double-figures for the fifth-straight game, scoring 16 points on eight-of-16 shooting in the win. Rookie guard Davion Mitchell finished with 9 points and seven assists, while Matt Coleman added 14 points on a perfect six-of-six shooting from the field.
One of the more impressive prospects from this summer league was forward Emanuel Terry, who finished with a game-high 15 rebounds to go along with nine points and five steals.
Yes, the Kings won and it was “just summer league“.
Except, it isn’t “just summer league” for those players and coaches. These are guys that are battling day in and day out for a chance in this league, which is something that should not go unnoticed. Players like King, Ramsey and Terry have unquestionably raised their stock over the past week.
Davion Mitchell has proved that he can defend at the NBA level–possibly an elite level, at that.
Neemias Queta looked solid in the middle.
You want your young guys to do well. Bringing in a winning culture starts at the bottom. The Sacramento Kings are not in a position to turn their noses up at an opportunity like this, and you can bet they are taking it all in. Whether you like it or not, it’s an accomplishment for these players and soon-to-be Stockton Kings head coach Bobby Jackson.
Recently-named assistant coach Doug Christie is off to a strong start in his new role on the bench. Positivity is contagious, and the Kings will now head into a two-month break with smiles on their faces.
Notes
- Kings forward Chimezie Metu was not active for Tuesday’s championship game due to a one-game suspension. Metu was suspended for one game after punching Dallas Mavericks forward Eugene Omoruyi in the head on Sunday afternoon. Over four appearances in Las Vegas Summer League action, Metu averaged 10.0 points, 6.8 rebounds and 2.0 steals per game over 25.1 minutes per contest.
Coming Up
The home-stretch of the NBA offseason is upon us, with just over two months remaining until opening night on Tuesday, October 19th.
According to multiple reports, the entire NBA schedule for the 2021-22 season will be released by Friday, August 20th or Saturday, August 21st. Then, training camps will open up at the end of September as teams prepare for preseason action in early October.
As for the Sacramento Kings, there are a few questions that must be answered prior to training camp, such as:
Will Buddy Hield be traded?
Is Marvin Bagley III the starting power forward?
Will general manager Monte McNair make any other moves to upgrade this roster?
With two months to go until players report for camp, the clock is ticking.
