On the morning of July 15, the NBA Summer League continues with a matchup between the Spurs and the Hawks.
The Spurs have played four Summer League games so far, recording a 2-2 record. They previously faced off against the Chinese national team, ultimately defeating them easily by a score of 89-67. In that game, the Spurs outperformed the Chinese team in rebounding and shooting percentage but had a poor free-throw percentage of only 45%. Castle, who was under the spotlight, shot 8 for 21 from the field, went 0 for 6 from three-point range, and led the team with 18 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists. Ingram-Ze scored a double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds. The Chinese team did not pose much of a challenge to the Spurs, as all 13 players who took the court scored.
In their last game against the Blazers, the Spurs won without much pressure. Unfortunately, Chinese player Cui Yongxi did not receive any playing time. The Spurs led by as many as 24 points in this game. Castle had an impressive performance, shooting 8 for 21 from the field, going 2 for 6 from three-point range, and making 4 of 5 free throws, leading all scorers with 22 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists. Mensa contributed a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds. The Spurs secured their second consecutive win, demonstrating excellent form.
The Hawks have only participated in one Summer League game thus far, which received considerable attention due to the presence of No. 1 draft pick Lissah. However, the Hawks fell short, losing 88-94 to the Wizards. They struggled in rebounding, shooting percentage, perimeter shooting, and free-throw percentage, indicating subpar overall performance. Lissah, who was highly anticipated, shot 7 for 16 from the field, made 3 of 9 three-point attempts, and went 1 for 2 from the free-throw line, leading the team with 18 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 assists. It wasn’t an outstanding performance, but as his debut, Lissah will need time to adjust. Besides Gaye, who scored 17 points and grabbed 4 rebounds, and Windler, who contributed 12 points and 8 rebounds, only four Hawks players reached double figures in scoring. Overall, they were outplayed by the Wizards.
Tomorrow’s game is a marquee matchup. Can Lissah deliver a strong performance to lead the Hawks to their first Summer League victory? It will be interesting to watch.
Below are the rosters for both teams’ Summer League appearances:
Spurs: 5 Castle, 7 Duke, 15 Boye, 17 Nelson, 18 Horn, 19 Masaalkevic, 25 Sissoko, 27 Avdalogic, 29 Dare-Green, 31 Mensa, 34 Minix, 35 Ward, 36 Milner, 37 Trafford, 41 Gray, 55 Ingram~
Hawks: 0 Norris, 4 Bavkin, 7 Djuricic, 8 Bowden, 10 Lissah (No. 1 Pick), 14 Joiner, 16 Matthews, 18 Mohammed Gaye, 19 Makhtar Gaye, 20 Windler, 22 Wallace, 31 Moses Wood, 32 Liddell, 34 Ongenda, 35 Becker
