Bruce Brown leads Pistons into 2nd round in NBA Summer League
Miami basketball alum Bruce Brown led the way for the Detroit Pistons in their NBA Summer League tournament first-round victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday night. Brown scored 16 points, had 11 rebounds, six assists and five steals.
That stat line is nothing new to followers of the Miami basketball program. In the year and a half plus that Bruce Brown played basketball for the Hurricanes, those numbers were not a rare occurrence. Brown had one triple-double in each of his seasons playing for Jim Larranaga.
Brown’s triple-doubles were only the second and third in Miami basketball history. If not for a season-ending injury in January, Bruce Brown likely would have been a first-round pick in the June NBA Draft.
Brown also had an impressive night from the floor after struggling through the Pistons three regularly scheduled games in the last week. Brown made six of 13 from the floor, one of two on three-point attempts and both of his free throws in a 64-59 Detroit victory over Minnesota.
The Pistons had to hold on after taking a 36-17 lead at halftime. They were outscored 26-11 in the third quarter, making it a game heading to the fourth. Detroit trailed by three in the fourth quarter. They were able to come back to earn the victory.
Brown’s performance was by far his best as a professional. He led the Pistons in scoring, rebounds, assists and steals. Those numbers were frequent during his stint as a Hurricane. Brown led Miami in assists and rebounds per game in 2017-18.
Detroit’s next game is Saturday against the Chicago Bulls at 4 PM ET on NBATV. Chicago defeated the Dallas Mavericks 95-83 in their first tournament game on Wednesday. Brown will get a rematch with Duke’s Wendall Carter. Carter was the Bulls first pick, seventh overall in the draft.
This will be the first of many NBA showdowns between the two ACC Stars. Both Chicago and Detroit are in the NBA’s Central Division. Brown had seven points but shot just three of 12 in Duke’s 83-75 victory in Coral Gables in January. Carter had 15 points, 14 rebounds and shot seven of 11 from the floor for Duke.
Brown was one of three Miami basketball alums in action on Wednesday night. Forward Kamari Murphy and the Brooklyn Nets tournament run came to an abrupt end in a 109-102 loss to Houston. The Rockets 52 first-half points nearly matched the amount the Pistons allowed against Minnesota for the entire game.
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The Nets hope to salvage a win this summer with their final game against the Indiana Pacers in the consolation round Friday at 4 PM ET on ESPNU. Their loss to Houston dropped Brooklyn to 0-4 in Las Vegas. The Nets did not participate in Sacramento or Salt Lake City.
Murphy continued to be a moderate contributor for Brooklyn. The second-year pro scored eight points, had five rebounds, three offensive and two steals in 14 minutes off the bench. Murphy shot three of eight from the floor. After playing with the Nets G-League team last season Murphy will now hope to get an invite to their fall camp.
Rion Brown who was on Miami’s 2013 ACC Regular Season and Tournament Champions was the last Hurricanes alum to play on Wednesday night. Brown got the start at small forward and scored 13 points in 27 minutes. He was six of 12 from the floor, made one of his four three-point attempts and had two rebounds and an assist.
Brown is playing with the Golden State Warriors this summer. Their success in the NBA regular and postseason over the past four years did not translate to victory in the tournament on Wednesday night. The Warriors lost 87-69 to the Charlotte Hornets.
Next: Six Miami basketball alums begin NBA Summer League Tournament
Golden State will play its consolation game on Friday night at 10 PM ET on ESPNU. Brown is playing in the Summer League for the first time in four years. He played with Charlotte in the 2014 Summer League.