Memphis Grizzlies forward Matthew Hurt, right, shields Oklahoma City Thunder forward Chet Holmgren (7) during the first half of an NBA Summer League basketball game Wednesday, May 5. July 2023 in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)
LAS VEGAS — Chet Holmgren has taken another positive step on his surgically repaired right foot.
Holmgren had 16 points and 10 rebounds on Saturday, helping the Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Dallas Mavericks 91-80 in their NBA Summer League opener.
The No. 2 pick in the 2022 draft missed the 2022-23 season after suffering a Lisfranc injury to his right foot last summer. The 7-foot-1 Holmgren returned as the Thunder played three games in the Salt Lake City Summer League before heading to Las Vegas, finishing with 15 points, nine rebounds and four blocks Monday in a win over Utah.
Surprisingly, the Thunder missed the playoffs without him and they have plenty of young talent. They were added with the addition of No. 10 pick Cason Wallace, a guard from Kentucky who made six 3-pointers and scored 20 points against the team that drafted him and traded him to Oklahoma City.
Holmgren was 5 of 10 from the field in 30 minutes and blocked two shots.
Jaden Hardy scored 24 points for the Mavericks. Center Dereck Lively II, the No. 12 pick traded in the Wallace trade, had four points and five rebounds.
Saturday’s eight-game schedule began with Miami, which is hoping to see some players who will team with Damian Lillard next season, beating Boston 99-88. Lillard has told the Portland Trail Blazers that he wants to be traded and that the All-Star’s preference is to be dealt to the Eastern Conference champions.
Play in Las Vegas kicked off Friday with an eventful opening night, featuring No. 1 pick Victor Wembanyama debuting with the San Antonio Spurs and Houston’s buzzer-beater victory over Portland, a game in which No. 3 pick Scoot Henderson of the Trail Blazers and No. 3 pick Scoot Henderson of the Trail Blazers. No. 4 pick Amen Thompson out of Houston left with injuries.
HEAT 99, CELTICS 88
Orlando Robinson Jr. scored 36 points on 13-of-22 shooting, including 3-of-4 from 3-point range, and grabbed 11 rebounds for Miami.
Dru Smith had 16 points and seven assists for the Heat (1-0). Nikola Jovic, Miami’s first-round pick in the 2022 draft, had 14 points, six rebounds, three assists, two steals and a block. Drew Peterson hit three 3-pointers and finished with 13 points and Jamal Cain scored 10.
Jordan Walsh hit four 3-pointers and led Boston (0-1) with 18 points and Jay Scrubb scored 17. JD Davison added 14 points and 11 assists, Justin Bean had 13 points and Justin Champagnie had 11 rebounds to finish with seven points.
76ERS 110, KNICKS 100
Jaden Springer led seven Philadelphia players in double figures with 23 points and Javonte Smart added 17 points, five rebounds and five assists.
DJ Steward and Ricky Council IV each had 14 points and Terquavion Smith and Filip Petrusev each scored 13 for the 76ers (1-0). Smith also had five assists, three steals and three blocks. Greg Brown III scored 11 points.
DaQuan Jeffries led New York (0-1) with 20 points. Michael Foster Jr. and Jaylen Martin each added 12.
PISTONS 89, MAGIC 78
Jalen Duren had 17 points and eight rebounds, while James Wiseman added 16 points, 11 rebounds and two blocks for Detroit.
Jaden Ivey shot just 5 of 19 from the field but finished with 14 points, five rebounds, five steals and four assists for the Pistons (1-0). Rookie Ausar Thompson had seven points, on 1-for-4 shooting, with nine rebounds, three assists, three blocks and one steal.
Kevon Harris scored 21 points for Orlando (0-1) and No. 6 pick Anthony Black added 17 points on 7-for-10 shooting with five rebounds, five assists and three steals. Caleb Houston added 12 points.
GRIZZLIES 89, BULLS 80
Kenneth Lofton Jr. scored 23 points on 8-of-14 shooting, 2-of-3 from beyond the arc, and Jake LaRavia added 15 points for Memphis.
Jacob Gilyard was 4 of 4 from the field, including three 3-pointers, and finished with 11 points and eight assists for the Grizzlies (1-0).
Javon Freeman-Liberty led Chicago (1-1) with 24 points, including four 3-pointers and five assists. Dalen Terry scored 17 points on 5-of-21 shooting, Nate Darling added 10 points and Adama Sanogo grabbed 12 rebounds to round out his eight points.
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