NBA Summer League Day 12 takeaways: Knicks rookies end in style; Luka Garza leaves and gets two way deal



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The penultimate day of the Las Vegas Summer League is on the books. As always, there was a lot of exciting action and a number of teams have completed their summer program. Here are some key points from the eight games.

Metu suspended for championship match

Sacramento Kings big man Chimezie Metu was sent off on Sunday for hitting Dallas Mavericks forward Eugene Omoruyi in the head after a serious foul. It turns out that reaction will cost him dearly, as the league announced on Monday that Metu has been suspended for Tuesday’s league game.

The Kings, who recently won the Las Vegas Summer League title in 2014, will face the Boston Celtics at 9 p.m. ET for the trophy. Neither team has lost in the competition yet, and it is expected to be a very competitive competition.

Knicks rookies Grimes and McBride finish in style

One of last season’s surprise teams, the Knicks are looking to build on their first playoff appearance in nearly a decade. Based on how things turned out in Vegas, they might have some help in the form of two rookies: Quentin Grimes and Deuce McBride.

The duo impressed all summer and ended on a high, leading the Knicks to a rout against the Hawks, 104-85. Grimes scored six points to 3 points in a performance of 26 points, six rebounds and three assists, while Grimes knocked down five trebles en route to 19 points and four assists. This duo will be one to watch at training camp and at the start of next season.

Stevens hits the winner of the game for the Cavaliers

The Cleveland Cavaliers closed their Summer League run in style Monday with a narrow victory over the Phoenix Suns, 88-85. They did it thanks to the late-game exploits of Lamar Stevens, who worked his way through the paint and converted a nice little finish to give the Cavs the lead with just 24 seconds left.

After going undrafted last year, Stevens secured a berth with the Cavaliers and appeared in 40 games as a rookie. A productive summer and moments of engagement like this should only further his cause in the organization.

Garza goes away, win a two way deal

Luka Garza had a historic college career in Iowa, where he was the National Consensus Player of the Year last season. But as a slow-footed fat guy who preferred to operate around the basket and was already 22, he didn’t receive much love from the NBA community.

In fact, he was in danger of not being drafted until the Detroit Pistons selected him with the 52nd pick overall. It could end up being a wise pick, as Garza played well in Vegas. He put on a solid 3-point shot and had two massive double doubles, including a 21-point, 15-rebound outing in the Pistons’ final on Monday.

Thanks to his good performance, he would have secured a two-pronged contract according to Shams Charania of The Athletic.



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