Despite Ace Bailey being out for the fourth straight game due to right hip soreness, yesterday’s Spurs-Jazz contest did not disappoint. It may have been the best game of the NBA Summer League so far, with Dylan Harper sending the game to overtime before Riley Minix hit the game-winning shot for San Antonio.
For the Utah Jazz, Kyle Filipowski had a monstrous game with 35 points and 11 rebounds while shooting 5-8 from downtown. NBA G-Leaguer David Jones-Garcia continued to make his case for a Spurs’
roster spot with 28 points off the bench and five three-pointers. Harper led all Spurs starters with 16 points, the second-most overall for San Antonio, while also contributing two rebounds and two assists in his second Summer League game.
Despite Dylan Harper having a tough shooting night, going 5-16 from the field and 1-4 from three-point range, he made his presence felt from the opening tip. Playing the two-man game with Harrison Ingram on the Spurs’ first possession, Harper received a well-timed bounce pass from Ingram and finger-rolled a layup into the net for the game’s first points.
Harper demonstrated his ball-handling and playmaking skills throughout the game, using his creativity to draw defenders before kicking the ball out to open shooters who punished the Jazz with three-pointers. He used his ability to drive to the basket and earn trips to the line on multiple occasions; one of the game’s biggest highlights was Harper drawing contact on a eurostep layup from Jazz and former Wisconsin guard John Tonje.
Dylan started to heat up in the fourth quarter, leading the charge to the other end of the floor and hitting a wide-open three-pointer to push the Spurs’ lead to ten points. The Jazz mounted a comeback to take an 86-84 lead with nine seconds left in the game, but Harper caught the subsequent inbounds pass, driving past Utah’s Elijah Harkless to finish at the rim and tie the game at 86 apiece. The Spurs-Jazz summer showdown would head to a two-minute overtime period.
Jones-Garcia opened the overtime scoring with a burst to the rim, before Filipowski answered with his fifth made three-pointer of the game to give Utah an 89-88 lead. With under 30 seconds left in the game, Jones-Garcia took matters into his own hands, driving on Harkless and drawing contact, making both the basket and the free throw to give San Antonio a 91-88 lead.
Jazz guard Cody Williams missed a layup short off the front rim, but Ingram was whistled for a foul for a slight push on Williams that put him at the line for two shots. Williams missed both free throws, but Filipowski grabbed the rebound, getting the ball to Isaiah Collier before Collier found Kyle for the game-tying slam dunk. Not to be outdone, Ingram inbounded the frontcourt pass to Riley Minix, who hit the fadeaway game-winning shot on the right baseline over Jazz reserve Jameer Nelson Jr.
Dylan Harper played a pivotal role in the exciting finish, forcing overtime with his crafty layup past Harkless. With the young Spurs rallying back from a fourteen-point deficit and then surviving a Jazz rally before having a signature moment at the buzzer, the rookies and roster hopefuls are building camaraderie and gaining significant NBA experience.
The Jazz will next be in action against the Washington Wizards tomorrow at 10 PM on ESPN, with Bailey’s status unknown at this time. The Spurs return to the court on Thursday evening, battling Kon Kneuppel and the Charlotte Hornets at 7 PM, which will also be broadcast on ESPN.
Following Wednesday’s slate of games, the Summer League will move into its consolation round and knockout stage, leading up to the championship game on July 20th. With the Spurs having a 3-0 record so far, they are a strong candidate to compete for a Summer League title, where Harper can continue to develop his craft in meaningful minutes.
