NBA Summer League Recap: Dillon Brooks, Jordan Bell Debut in Las Vegas

LAS VEGAS, Nev. — Dillon Brooks and Jordan Bell both made their professional debut on Saturday from the MGM Resorts NBA Summer League. Two of the greatest Duck basketball players in program history coincidentally began their career on the same day.

Overall, a total of seven basketball players with Oregon ties were in action on Saturday. It would have been eight if Chris Boucher was healthy.

Duck fans have to be pleased with the amount of professional players the Oregon basketball program is churning out. On Saturday alone, five players with affiliations to the Oregon basketball program showcased their collective ability in the NBA.

In fact, Oregon was proudly represented throughout the world of basketball. Team USA and Payton Pritchard lost to Canada’s Abu Kigab, 99-87, at the U19 FIBA World Cup semifinals. The Oregon duo combined for 30 points in the Final Four from Egypt on Saturday afternoon.

Just as the international game ended, Brooks began his first game with the Memphis Grizzlies at Cox Pavilion. The Canadian finished with six points, five rebounds, two stolen passes and a blocked shot.

Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images

Additionally, Brooks took a charge for his team. Not many players are making those kind of plays in the summer. That is Brooks in a nutshell.

He finished 3-for-9 from the floor overall. However, DB missed both free throw attempts and all three shots from downtown. The second round pick played a total of 23:45 minutes.

Memphis slipped by Washington, 91-88, on the back of former Kansas star Wayne Selden and his 28 points. He was 10-for-20 from the field in the win.

Following Dylan Ennis debuting in Orlando and Tyler Dorsey participating in his first summer league action on Friday in Sin City, just three remained without professional playing time from the Duck draft class of 2017.

Hours later, Bell introduced himself to the league with an emphatic blocked shot in the first half against the Philadelphia 76ers. He followed that with a left-handed dunk on the fast break to a chorus of cheers from the Warriors bench.

The Long Beach product concluded his professional debut with eight points, four rebounds and two blocked shots. Bell shot 4-for-7 from the field in 13 minutes of action.

#ThingsJordanBellCouldBlock was in full effect from the Thomas & Mack Center. You can watch his highlight rejection here:

VIDEO: Jordan Bell Blocked Shot

Chris Boucher was on the Golden State sideline for the game after signing a two-way deal with the NBA world champions following the NBA Draft. However, he is still working his way back into shape after offseason surgery to repair a torn ACL.

After playing five games in six days for the Oklahoma City Thunder, Ennis didn’t need time to find his rhythm with Golden State. He scored six points, alongside a rebound and a dime. He was 2-for-5 from the floor and 1-for-2 from 3-point territory. Ennis will conclude the summer league with the Warriors.

Elgin Cook tallied four points and two boards on 2-for-4 shooting. He spent last season with Golden State’s G-League affiliate in Santa Cruz.

Former Oregon transfer Jabari Brown played a pivotal role in this game. He was 4-for-9 from the floor for a total of 16 points. Brown played the most of any former Duck for the Warriors with 23 minutes on the court.

Golden State lost to the 76ers, 95-93, in their first action since winning the NBA Championship.

The four former Ducks combined to score 34 points for the Warriors. In total, seven basketball players with Oregon ties amassed 70 points globally on Saturday.

On a side note, the No. 1 overall pick of the 2017 NBA Draft Markelle Fultz was carried off the floor with an apparent ankle injury. The former Washington guard is being evaluated as we speak.

Let’s take a look at the remaining schedule for the Ducks from the desert:

LAS VEGAS SUMMER LEAGUE SCHEDULE

July 9:

1:00 p.m. PT - Atlanta Hawks (Dorsey) vs New Orleans Pelicans

7:00 p.m. PT - Memphis Grizzlies (Brooks) vs Sacramento Kings

July 10:

1:00 p.m. PT - Atlanta Hawks (Dorsey) vs Chicago Bulls

5:30 p.m. PT - Golden State Warriors (Bell, Boucher, Cook, Ennis) vs Cleveland Cavaliers

July 11:

1:30 p.m. PT - Utah Jazz vs Memphis Grizzlies (Brooks)

5:30 p.m. PT - Golden State Warriors (Bell, Boucher, Cook, Ennis) vs Dallas Mavericks

We will have continual coverage from the NBA Summer League throughout July.

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