The Sixers achieved their first winning streak of the summer on Friday night.
They defeated the Spurs with a score of 96-80, improving their record to 3-1 in the Las Vegas summer league.
Their final summer league game will be against the Celtics on Sunday at 5 p.m. ET.
Against the Spurs, the Sixers had five players score in double digits: Ricky Council IV (20 points), Jeff Dowtin Jr. (17), David Jones (15), Judah Mintz (14), and Keve Aluma (10).
Here are some observations from their victory over San Antonio:
McCain forcing the issue at times
Jared McCain’s first two shots of the night were promising.
He then missed his next eight field goals, including several challenging, tightly contested attempts. At times, the 20-year-old seemed to be trying too hard to make something happen, which isn’t ideal for efficient, rhythm-building basketball.
After halftime, McCain became more passive and ended up shooting 3 for 13 from the field and 2 for 8 from three-point range. Over seven summer league games, he’s made 26.9 percent of his field goals and 22.9 percent of his three-pointers.
Stellar spurt from Mintz
Mintz was outstanding late in the first quarter, scoring 10 consecutive points for the Sixers.
Mintz’s scoring streak ended when he drove into the paint, drew the Spurs’ defense, and assisted on a Max Fiedler layup.
The undrafted rookie guard scored two and-one baskets and went 6 for 6 at the foul line during his scoring burst. He was also disruptive at the top of the Sixers’ zone defense without taking any major risks. Although Mintz isn’t very tall—standing at 6-foot-3 with a 6-3.5 wingspan—he has demonstrated good play-reading abilities in the summer league and had several pesky moments. At Syracuse, the 21-year-old averaged 2.1 steals per game during his sophomore year.
Offensively, Mintz has shown comfort and craftiness inside the arc. Improving his outside shooting would certainly enhance his career prospects, as he shot 29.1 percent from three-point range over his two college seasons.
Sixers close it out emphatically
The Sixers put in a strong defensive effort Friday night. Despite shooting 1 for 11 from three-point range in the first half, they managed to hold a five-point lead.
Their shooting improved in the third quarter, mainly due to Jones hitting three long-range shots and scoring 13 points in the period.
The Spurs still managed to take their first lead with just over two minutes remaining in the third quarter. Jamaree Bouyea (15 points and six steals) spearheaded San Antonio’s push for a 4-0 record.
However, after the Sixers regained the lead, Council and Dowtin effectively eliminated any chance of a Spurs comeback. Council continued to showcase his athleticism with impressive dunks throughout the summer league.
Dowtin saved his best performance for the fourth quarter, confidently scoring in isolation and ensuring the Sixers secured another win in Vegas.
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