The Utah Jazz capped off a perfect 3-0 run through their home summer showcase with a dominant 103-69 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday night at the Jon M. Huntsman Center. It may not have been pretty, but the Jazz got the job done.
Unlike the first two games, none of Utah’s draft picks played. Darryn Peterson, Ace Bailey, and Cody Williams were all sidelined as the Jazz’s Summer League roster took on the OKC Thunder, who were also missing their draft picks: Aday Mara and Bennett Stirtz.
The only players who got some action tonight with regular season appearances for the Jazz were Blake Hinson, Bez Mbeng, and Hayden Gray. This gave an opportunity for the other Summer League players to show what they can do, and several took advantage.
From the start, the Jazz controlled the game. The Jazz went on a 42-25 run stretching from the 4:25 mark of the first quarter into halftime. This surge put the game out of the reach from the Thunder early on, and they kept their foot on the gas, winning the second half 50-32, with a lead that swelled as much as 37 points.
The Jazz won both the 3-point shooting and paint points battles, outscoring the Thunder 46-28 in the paint. This dominant win was characterized by balanced scoring, with 7 Jazz players reaching double figures.
Max Abmas, a small crafty guard, started at point guard, dropping 15 points and 6 assists. He has a tight handle and solid passing. His size is limiting as he is listed at only 5-foot-11. However, he was a steady hand in Peterson’s absence with only two turnovers.
Jonas Aidoo also had a good game, starting at center and dropping 16 points and grabbing 14 rebounds. He is a decent rim protector and uses his size well.
This was Oklahoma City’s third straight loss in Salt Lake City, after an earlier blowout against Memphis and a 5-point loss to Atlanta. The OKC Thunder struggled to shoot from distance, only making 26.5% of their 3-point attempts.
Their rookie big man, Aday Mara (the No. 12 pick), and young guard Bennett Stirtz (the No. 16 pick), showed nice flashes but struggled to find consistency throughout summer play so far.
“If we guarded and played as a team, we knew we were going to win,” said Justin Harmon, who finished with 11 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 blocks. “We love playing with each other, and when we play together, we can beat anybody.”
Hopefully Darryn Peterson, Ace Bailey, and Cody Williams got the rest needed to perform in their upcoming games.
Both teams will now head to the main NBA Summer League event at Las Vegas. The Jazz will take on the Washington Wizards on July 9th in the highly anticipated battle between the top two picks: AJ Dybantsa and Darryn Peterson.
