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Steward Wins Title as Former Blue Devils Wrap Up NBA Summer League
8/18/2021 5:06:00 PM | Men's Basketball
LAS VEGAS – Former ACC All-Freshman selection DJ Steward and the Sacramento Kings won the NBA summer league title on Tuesday night, culminating an impressive tournament for various Blue Devils looking to earn an NBA roster spot this season.
Overall, nine former Duke players took the court for their respective team – Jalen Johnson and Javin DeLaurier (Atlanta Hawks), Vernon Carey Jr. (Charlotte Hornets), Matthew Hurt (Houston Rockets), Cassius Stanley (Indiana Pacers), Steward (Sacramento Kings), Tre Jones and Justin Robinson (San Antonio Spurs) and Marques Bolden (Washington Wizards).
Steward shot 2-of-6 from the field for four points and recorded two steals in the Kings' 100-67 win over the Boston Celtics in the championship game. The combo guard from Chicago appeared in three games throughout the tournament, averaging 2.7 points in 8.5 minutes per contest. He becomes the third Blue Devil to win an NBA Summer League title, joining Grayson Allen with the Memphis Grizzlies in 2019 and Brandon Ingram with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2017.
Jones, a second-round (41st overall) selection by the Spurs in the 2020 NBA Draft, excelled on both ends of the court in each of his four games played. He posted averages of 22.8 points (fourth in the summer league), 6.3 assists (ninth) and 4.8 rebounds while shooting .507 from the field and .364 from three-point range. In San Antonio's 106-105 win over Charlotte on Aug. 12, Jones dropped a game-high 34 points – including the game-winning layup with one second remaining – while dishing out nine assists and grabbing eight boards. The 2020 ACC Player of the Year appeared in 37 games with San Antonio this past season and was named to the All-NBA G League Third Team following a standout year for the Austin Spurs.
Johnson played in four games for Atlanta, leading the Hawks in rebounds in each appearance and earning a spot on the All-Summer League First Team. The 20th overall selection in the 2021 NBA Draft started off the summer league with an impressive 20-point, 10-rebound performance in Atlanta's opening game against Boston on Aug. 8. He finished 8-of-12 from the floor and knocked down 3-of-5 free throws in 25 minutes of action. Johnson followed that up with an 8-of-14 shooting night for 18 points and 10 boards to lead the Hawks to an 84-83 win over Indiana two days later. His highest-scoring output game on Aug. 14 against Miami, when he netted 25 points on 9-of-15 shooting – including 3-of-6 from three-point range – to go with seven rebounds and three assists. He finished the tournament with averages of 19.0 points on .574 shooting, 9.5 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.3 blocks.
DeLaurier also impressed for the Hawks, playing 15 minutes per contest in four games with 6.0 points and 6.8 rebounds. In his first appearance against the Celtics, the former Duke team captain brought down nine rebounds while recording an assist and a blocked shot in 12 minutes. In Atlanta's final game against the New York Knicks on Aug. 16, he went 7-of-9 from the field and 3-of-5 from the free throw line for a team-high 18 points with seven assists, three blocks, two assists and a steal.
Robinson played alongside Jones in three games with the Spurs, scoring 4.3 points per game with 4.0 boards and 2.7 assists. He made his summer league debut in San Antonio's win over Charlotte on Aug. 12, registering two points, three rebounds and two dimes. The following game against the Brooklyn Nets, he netted six points with six rebounds in 19 minutes off the bench.
Another member of the 2019-20 Blue Devils, Stanley started all five of Indiana's games in the summer league and averaged 11.0 points on .543 shooting to go with 4.2 rebounds. He scored 14 points on 5-of-7 from the field against the Hawks, and followed up with a 12-point, four-rebound, four-assist outing versus the Portland Trail Blazers. In the Pacers' final game against the Wizards on Aug. 16, Stanley led his team in points (19), rebounds (7) and assists (2), and threw down a highlight dunk late in the fourth quarter that helped lift Indiana to a 74-65 win.
Carey started two of three games for the Hornets after appearing in 19 contests with Charlotte during the 2020-21 regular season. The 2020 ACC Freshman of the Year came off the bench in his first summer league game and contributed 11 points with two rebounds in 18 minutes. He was given the start at center against Jones and Robinson's Spurs on Aug. 12 and showed his capabilities on both ends of the floor, finishing the night with 19 points – including a 5-of-5 clip at the line – while bringing down eight rebounds and recording a steal.
Hurt appeared in all five games for the Rockets, highlighted by a 2-of-2 three-point shooting night for six points with three rebounds against the Toronto Raptors on Aug. 12. The ACC Most Improved Player this past season, Hurt signed a two-way contact with Houston on July 30.
Bolden averaged over 12 minutes in three games with the Wizards, recording 3.7 rebounds, 1.6 points and 1.0 steals. He logged seven rebounds in Washington's loss against Sacramento on Aug. 10, while also adding two points and a steal.
#GoDuke
Overall, nine former Duke players took the court for their respective team – Jalen Johnson and Javin DeLaurier (Atlanta Hawks), Vernon Carey Jr. (Charlotte Hornets), Matthew Hurt (Houston Rockets), Cassius Stanley (Indiana Pacers), Steward (Sacramento Kings), Tre Jones and Justin Robinson (San Antonio Spurs) and Marques Bolden (Washington Wizards).
Steward shot 2-of-6 from the field for four points and recorded two steals in the Kings' 100-67 win over the Boston Celtics in the championship game. The combo guard from Chicago appeared in three games throughout the tournament, averaging 2.7 points in 8.5 minutes per contest. He becomes the third Blue Devil to win an NBA Summer League title, joining Grayson Allen with the Memphis Grizzlies in 2019 and Brandon Ingram with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2017.
Jones, a second-round (41st overall) selection by the Spurs in the 2020 NBA Draft, excelled on both ends of the court in each of his four games played. He posted averages of 22.8 points (fourth in the summer league), 6.3 assists (ninth) and 4.8 rebounds while shooting .507 from the field and .364 from three-point range. In San Antonio's 106-105 win over Charlotte on Aug. 12, Jones dropped a game-high 34 points – including the game-winning layup with one second remaining – while dishing out nine assists and grabbing eight boards. The 2020 ACC Player of the Year appeared in 37 games with San Antonio this past season and was named to the All-NBA G League Third Team following a standout year for the Austin Spurs.
Johnson played in four games for Atlanta, leading the Hawks in rebounds in each appearance and earning a spot on the All-Summer League First Team. The 20th overall selection in the 2021 NBA Draft started off the summer league with an impressive 20-point, 10-rebound performance in Atlanta's opening game against Boston on Aug. 8. He finished 8-of-12 from the floor and knocked down 3-of-5 free throws in 25 minutes of action. Johnson followed that up with an 8-of-14 shooting night for 18 points and 10 boards to lead the Hawks to an 84-83 win over Indiana two days later. His highest-scoring output game on Aug. 14 against Miami, when he netted 25 points on 9-of-15 shooting – including 3-of-6 from three-point range – to go with seven rebounds and three assists. He finished the tournament with averages of 19.0 points on .574 shooting, 9.5 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.3 blocks.
DeLaurier also impressed for the Hawks, playing 15 minutes per contest in four games with 6.0 points and 6.8 rebounds. In his first appearance against the Celtics, the former Duke team captain brought down nine rebounds while recording an assist and a blocked shot in 12 minutes. In Atlanta's final game against the New York Knicks on Aug. 16, he went 7-of-9 from the field and 3-of-5 from the free throw line for a team-high 18 points with seven assists, three blocks, two assists and a steal.
Robinson played alongside Jones in three games with the Spurs, scoring 4.3 points per game with 4.0 boards and 2.7 assists. He made his summer league debut in San Antonio's win over Charlotte on Aug. 12, registering two points, three rebounds and two dimes. The following game against the Brooklyn Nets, he netted six points with six rebounds in 19 minutes off the bench.
Another member of the 2019-20 Blue Devils, Stanley started all five of Indiana's games in the summer league and averaged 11.0 points on .543 shooting to go with 4.2 rebounds. He scored 14 points on 5-of-7 from the field against the Hawks, and followed up with a 12-point, four-rebound, four-assist outing versus the Portland Trail Blazers. In the Pacers' final game against the Wizards on Aug. 16, Stanley led his team in points (19), rebounds (7) and assists (2), and threw down a highlight dunk late in the fourth quarter that helped lift Indiana to a 74-65 win.
Carey started two of three games for the Hornets after appearing in 19 contests with Charlotte during the 2020-21 regular season. The 2020 ACC Freshman of the Year came off the bench in his first summer league game and contributed 11 points with two rebounds in 18 minutes. He was given the start at center against Jones and Robinson's Spurs on Aug. 12 and showed his capabilities on both ends of the floor, finishing the night with 19 points – including a 5-of-5 clip at the line – while bringing down eight rebounds and recording a steal.
Hurt appeared in all five games for the Rockets, highlighted by a 2-of-2 three-point shooting night for six points with three rebounds against the Toronto Raptors on Aug. 12. The ACC Most Improved Player this past season, Hurt signed a two-way contact with Houston on July 30.
Bolden averaged over 12 minutes in three games with the Wizards, recording 3.7 rebounds, 1.6 points and 1.0 steals. He logged seven rebounds in Washington's loss against Sacramento on Aug. 10, while also adding two points and a steal.
#GoDuke
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