Sacramento Kings trample Phoenix Suns as Summer League winds down.
The Las Vegas Summer League is coming down to its final days. Meaning, the Sacramento Kings are going to come back down to Earth. In one of their last games, the Kings took on the Phoenix Suns, defeating them by a final score of 82-69.
It’s starting to get extremely redundant, but in a good way. Yes, Keegan Murray had over 20 points again, and, yes, he had another great game showcasing just how skilled he is compared to the majority of his competition in Las Vegas. He finished with 21 points and 10 rebounds while shooting 8 of 14 from the field in just under 23 minutes — including a beautiful stepback turnaround jumper from deep to end the first quarter.
Murray continues to show great poise and an ability to force those around him to play at his own tempo. Even with the clock winding down he looks calm and never rushes. It will be very interesting to see if his pace changes once he’s playing next to De’Aaron Fox.
Keegan Murray beats the first quarter buzzer.
The Sacramento Kings rookie has eight points at the end of the first. pic.twitter.com/Xr1lDE9DFr
— Cameron Salerno (@cameronsalerno1) July 16, 2022
The rest of the players on Sacramento’s Summer League roster also deserve a massive shout-out. It’s very hard to get attention when you’re playing next to a top pick. However, many of these guys have proven they have value and potential.
Two players that made their presence known tonight were DJ Steward, who had 14 points, 5 rebounds and 2 assists, and Jeriah Horne, who finished with 8 points, 7 rebounds and 1 steal. Both players have fought for minutes and played with a lot of heart this summer. Both have shown they have the potential to develop into an NBA prospect.
DJ from the corner as the shot clock expires @djstewardd | #SacramentoProud pic.twitter.com/biwmCm5AXK
— Sacramento Kings (@SacramentoKings) July 16, 2022
With all of the memorable plays this summer, one of the best happened in this game. There was a great moment where Matt Coleman III fell to the ground in the second quarter near the Kings bench. Just about every single player in a Sacramento jersey rushed over to help him up. It was a great feeling to see the team-first mentality these young guys have adopted in such a short time.
Just goes to show what this new coaching regime in Sacramento is all about. It will be very exciting to see how they affect the team during the regular season.