BBNBA: Brandon Boston Jr. posts 22 points, 8 rebounds in Summer League action
Good afternoon, folks! Following Friday night’s action, all that’s left in the 2022 NBA Summer League are the championship games, which will span throughout the weekend. Kentucky could see as many as eight former Wildcats take the floor in Las Vegas for Saturday’s nine games while Sunday’s Championship Games will include up to five one-time ‘Cats — if they all play, that is.
But before we get too ahead of ourselves, we need to cover what happened during Friday’s games. Six former Kentucky players took the hardwood while another two did not see the floor (Kellan Grady and Olivier Sarr both received DNP-Coach’s Decision). The star of the day was LA Clippers second-year guard Brandon Boston Jr., who had his best outing at Summer League so far.
The lanky 20-year-old scored an efficient 22 points on 8-14 shooting (3-6 from distance) to go along with eight rebounds, three assists, and two steals in 32 minutes of play. Boston helped lead his Clippers squad to an 82-65 victory over the Utah Jazz in the process.
Boston started off the Las Vegas Summer League with a bang in his opener, dropping 15 points, three rebounds, two assists, and three steals in just 22 minutes. However, his next two outings saw him shoot a combined 6-27 from the floor as his efficiency fell off a cliff. But another impressive game on Friday showcased the potential that has always lied within him. Boston looked confident against the Jazz — attacking the rim with aggression and knocking down plenty of outside jumpers.
Through four Summer League games for the Clips, Boston is averaging 15.0 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 1.3 steals in nearly 28 minutes per game. He’s shooting just 36.7 percent from the floor overall due to those two middle games but is up to 40 percent from beyond the arc on 5.0 attempts per contest.
On the opposite end of Boston was former ‘Cat and UCLA Bruin, Johnny Juzang, who finished with a quieter 14 points on 3-13 shooting (3-9 from deep) for Utah. He also added four rebounds and one assist to his stat line in 26 minutes. Shortly before taking the floor, it was officially announced by the Jazz that Juzang has been signed to a two-way contract.
Sestina, Killeya-Jones fighting for a role
A couple of former Wildcats continue to scratch and claw their way into the hopes of making an NBA roster spot this summer. For the Sacramento Kings, Nate Sestina posted eight points (3-4 shooting; 2-3 from distance), three rebounds, and one assist in 14 minutes of action in what was an 82-69 win over the Phoenix Suns, which was without Olivier Sarr. It might have been Sestina’s best outing in Vegas, too. The 6-foot-9 forward is averaging just 3.8 points and 2.3 rebounds per contest during four Summer League games.
Sacha Killeya-Jones, who spent two seasons in Lexington before transferring to NC State (although he did not suit up for the Wolfpack), is another prospect looking to break out in front of the scouts this summer. His first couple of games were more impressive than what he’s done as of late, but it’s been a rather productive stretch for SKJ. On Friday, he registered six points on 3-7 shooting to go along with nine rebounds, two assists, and three blocks in just 17 minutes. I’m not sure he’s done enough in Vegas to garner an NBA spot, but I’d be shocked if Killeya-Jones doesn’t at least try his luck in the G League this season.
Other BBNBA notes
The final two former ‘Cats to suit up on Friday night were Mychal Mulder (Miami Heat) and Davion Mintz (Washington Wizards). Mulder finished with five points on 2-8 shooting (1-6 from deep) with two rebounds, one steal, and one block in 21 minutes. Through four games now, the sharpshooter is averaging 12.0 points for Miami on 40 percent shooting from distance, which is what he’s specialized at during his previous NBA stints. Mulder is a holder of one of the Heat’s two-way contracts — he’s done a pretty decent job at holding onto that deal this summer.
As for Mintz, it hasn’t been an ideal summer league for the Big Blue Nation fan favorite. Through four games, he’s playing just 10.4 minutes per night, putting up 4.3 points on 44.4 percent shooting. On Friday, Mintz added four points on 1-4 shooting, one assist, and one steal in 13 minutes. He has yet to record a single rebound during Summer League play.
Statistics
| PLAYER | RESULT | PTS | FG (3PT) | FT | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TO | MIN |
| Brandon Boston Jr. (LAC) | 82-65 W vs. UTA | 22 | 8-14 (3-6) | 3-4 | 8 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 32 |
| Johnny Juzang (UTA) | 65-82 L vs. LAC | 14 | 3-13 (3-9) | 5-6 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 26 |
| Nate Sestina (SAC) | 82-69 W vs. PHX | 8 | 3-4 (2-3) | 0-0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 14 |
| Sacha Killeya-Jones (LAL) | 102-94 W vs. NOP | 6 | 3-7 (0-1) | 0-0 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 17 |
| Mychal Mulder (MIA) | 78-88 L vs. TOR | 5 | 2-8 (1-6) | 0-0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 21 |
| Davion Mintz (WAS) | 97-79 W vs. IND | 4 | 1-4 (1-3) | 1-2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 13 |
| Kellan Grady (DEN) | 71-97 L vs. PHI | DNP-CD | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Olivier Sarr (PHX) | 69-82 L vs. SAC | DNP-CD | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Today in NBA Summer League
3:00 PM EST (NBA TV): Hawks @ Cavaliers (Hagans)
4:00 PM EST (ESPNU): Magic @ Pistons
5:00 PM EST (NBA TV): Hornets (Richards) @ Timberwolves (Whitney)
6:00 PM EST (ESPN): Grizzlies @ Spurs
7:00 PM EST (NBA TV): Bulls @ 76ers
8:00 PM EST (ESPN): Nets @ Celtics
9:00 PM EST (NBA TV): Rockets (Washington) @ Kings (Sestina)
10:00 PM EST (ESPN): Lakers (Killeya-Jones) @ Mavericks
11:00 PM EST (NBA TV): Heat (Mulder) @ Clippers (Boston)
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