Lonnie Walker sits as Suns crush Spurs in NBA Summer League
Lonnie Walker did not play in the 2018 NBA Summer League Finale for the San Antonio Spurs and Phoenix Suns. Walker’s absence meant that Miami basketball fans did not get to see a matchup of the Hurricanes 2016-17 and 2017-18 leading scorers.
Miami basketball alums Lonnie Walker and Trey McKinney-Jones and the San Antonio Spurs were crushed 90-55 by Hurricanes 2016-17 leading scorer Davon Reed and the Phoenix Suns. Phoenix’s victory improved the Suns to a 4-1 finish in Las Vegas. San Antonio finished 1-4 in Sin City.
With Lonnie Walker taking the night off, McKinney-Jones got the start at shooting guard. He scored seven points on one of six from the floor and five of six from the free throw line. McKinney-Jones also had two rebounds, two assists and a steal.
Reed capped off a successful summer league on the other side of the floor. Still making his way back from a torn MCL last year, Reed scored 11 points on four of 10 from the floor and made one of his five three-point attempts. That was the exact same shooting line that Reed had in the Suns loss to Philadelphia on Thursday.
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Reed also contributed five rebounds and four assists in the Suns blowout victory. He now hopes to be able to continue making a good impression in training camp this fall.
Two other Miami basketball alums also played their final Summer League game on Friday. Kamari Murphy played with the Brooklyn Nets in the matinee. Rion Brown started for the Golden State Warriors in the nightcap.
Brooklyn lost 116-79 to the Indiana Pacers. After starting for the Nets earlier in the week. Murphy came off the bench on Friday. He played just nine minutes, scoring one point. Murphy missed all three his field goal attempts and his only three-point shot. He did split his two free throw attempts. Murphy also added two rebounds.
The former Hurricanes big now hopes to get an invite to the Nets Fall training camp. Murphy started 48 of the 50 games he appeared in for the Long Island Nets last season, Brooklyn’s G-League team. He averaged 10.4 PPG and 7.4 RPG.
The Warriors used a small lineup as the 6’6 200 pound Brown started Golden State’s final 2018 Summer League game at power forward. Brown failed to score on five attempts from the floor and one-three point attempt. He added just one steal and one block.
Bruce Brown of the Detroit Pistons remains the only Miami Basketball alum in the main draw of the NBA Summer League Tournament. The Pistons play the Chicago Bulls on Saturday afternoon at 4:00 PM ET on NBATV. It will be Brown’s first look at former Duke power forward Wendell Carter Jr.
Both Brown and Carter have had outstanding weeks in Las Vegas. Brown is second on the Pistons in scoring and rebounding and third in assists. He is averaging 12.5 PPG, 7.5 RPG, 3.3 APG and 1.5 steals per game in Detroit’s four Summer League games.
Carter is averaging 16.8 PPG, 7.8 RPG and is sixth in entire Summer League in blocks at 2.8 per game. Carter was the seventh overall pick by Chicago in June’s NBA Draft.
Next: Bruce Brown leads Pistons into 2nd Round
Both Brown and Carter will have a chance to earn spots on the All-Summer League team. A victory on Saturday and the additional game will help with that campaign.