{"id":8568,"date":"2025-07-20T14:04:17","date_gmt":"2025-07-20T14:04:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/8568\/"},"modified":"2025-07-20T14:04:17","modified_gmt":"2025-07-20T14:04:17","slug":"nba-starting-5-july-20","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/8568\/","title":{"rendered":"NBA Starting 5, July 20"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/p>\n

The handle. The hammer \u2013 and the Hornets heating up.<\/p>\n

The desert\u2019s buzzing as Charlotte faces Sacramento in tonight\u2019s NBA 2K26 Summer League final in Vegas (10 ET, ESPN<\/a>).<\/p>\n

\"Damion<\/p>\n

5 STORIES IN TODAY\u2019S EDITION \ud83c\udfc0<\/p>\n

July 20, 2025<\/p>\n

Semifinal Saturday: Isaac Jones erupts for Sacramento, while Charlotte shows out<\/p>\n

Championship Sunday: Two 5-0 squads, two standout rooks, one game to decide the title<\/p>\n

Summer Sendoff: Ten squads finished their summer circuit on a jam-packed Saturday<\/p>\n

WNBA ASG History: Napheesa Collier goes off for a record 36 points in the AT&T WNBA All-Star Game<\/p>\n

Peach Jam Finals: Four champs will be crowned today in one of high school hoops\u2019 premier events<\/p>\n

BUT FIRST \u2026 \u23f0<\/p>\n

For all the marbles\u2026<\/p>\n

\"Today's<\/p>\n

The NBA 2K26 Summer League culminates tonight in Vegas with a winner-take-all championship game between the Kings and Hornets (10 ET, ESPN<\/a>), along with a pair of consolation matchups.<\/p>\n

1. SEMIFINAL SATURDAY: KINGS, HORNETS ADVANCE TO SUMMER LEAGUE FINAL<\/p>\n

\"Isaac<\/p>\n

In April, undrafted rookie Isaac Jones helped lead the Stockton Kings to the 2025 G League title.<\/p>\n

Three months later, the rising sophomore showed out to punch Sacramento\u2019s ticket to the NBA 2K26 Summer League championship.<\/p>\n

Kings 98, Raptors 88: In a sensational showing, Jones erupted for 36 points<\/a> on 13-of-17 shooting, as the Kings staved off a late push from Jamal Shead (24 pts, 12 ast) and the Raptors to take Saturday\u2019s first win-or-go-home semifinal. | Recap<\/a><\/p>\n

Closing Time: After seeing Sacramento\u2019s 22-point cushion cut to one with 3:15 left, Jones \u2013 a 2025 All-NBA G League Third-Teamer \u2013 took over with a solo 7-0 spurt to restore control, icing a wire-to-wire win
\n\u201cIt\u2019s crazy,\u201d said Jones on playing for the Summer League title. \u201cWe got a G League one, so we definitely need this one.\u201d
\nSac-Town Scorers: Mason Jones (17 pts) and Maxime Raynaud (12 pts, 7 reb) joined Jones in double figures, while Devin Carter dished out 6 dimes<\/p>\n

\"Kon<\/p>\n

Garrett Ellwood\/NBAE via Getty Images<\/p>\n

In Saturday\u2019s second semifinal between unbeatens, it wasn\u2019t one hero but a hive \u2013 as a swarm of Hornets buzzed their way past OKC.<\/p>\n

Hornets 109, Thunder 80: Jaylen Sims led the way with 25 points, No. 4 pick Kon Knueppel added 17 along with 3 assists and 2 steals, and three other Hornets scored in double figures as Charlotte raced past OKC to reach Sunday\u2019s championship. | Recap<\/a><\/p>\n

Summer Splash: An undrafted second-year guard, Sims caught fire early and never cooled down \u2013 going 4-of-6 from deep and 10-of-14 from the floor
\nBaugh Ballin\u2019: Fellow sophomore Damion Baugh posted a near triple-double (10 pts, 9 reb, 9 ast), highlighted by a filthy behind-the-back dribble and dime<\/a> to set up a PJ Hall jam (12 pts, 8 reb)
\n\u201cWe came to Summer League to compete and stay together,\u201d said Sims postgame. \u201cAnd that\u2019s what we\u2019ve been doing. We\u2019ve been having fun \u2026 playing together, playing unselfish \u2013 and it\u2019s been showing.\u201d<\/p>\n

2. CHAMPIONSHIP SUNDAY: ONE GAME FOR THE VEGAS SUMMER LEAGUE TITLE<\/p>\n

\"Nique<\/p>\n

The NBA 2K26 Summer League title comes down to two unbeaten teams \u2013 Sacramento, chasing an unprecedented third championship in Vegas, and Charlotte, hunting its first.<\/p>\n

Tonight, the two squads \u2013 each led by standout 2025 first-round Draft picks \u2013 square off in a winner-take-all showdown for the crown.<\/p>\n

Kings vs. Hornets (10 ET, ESPN): Powered by No. 4 pick Kon Knueppel, Charlotte is pouring in 101.8 ppg \u2013 the second-most among all 30 teams.<\/p>\n

On the other side, Sacramento is shooting a Vegas-best 50.2% from the field, with marksman and No. 24 pick Nique Clifford leading the charge.<\/p>\n

Knueppel Cooking: After scoring 5 points in his Summer League debut, the former Duke star has turned up, averaging 17.3 pts, 6.0 reb and 4.3 ast in his last three games
\nDiaed In: A knockdown 3-point shooter, Knueppel has shot 42.1% from deep in that span and 48.6% from the field
\nFloor General: He\u2019s also flashed his ability to dissect defenses as a pick-and-roll handler, including this crafty dish<\/a> to fellow rookie Ryan Kalkbrenner on Saturday \u2b07\ufe0f<\/p>\n

\"Kon<\/p>\n

Catching Fire: While Knueppel\u2019s been hot from deep, Clifford\u2019s been scorching \u2013 shooting 50.0% from downtown en route to 16.2 ppg, while adding 6.2 boards.<\/p>\n

Kings\u2019 Core: Clifford\u2019s not the only hot hand fueling Sacramento\u2019s attack, with Isaac Jones averaging 17.2 ppg on 66.7% shooting \u2013 fresh off his 36-point outburst
\nTwo-Way Trouble: Meanwhile, Devin Carter \u2013 Sacramento\u2019s No. 13 overall pick in 2024 \u2013 has showcased his all-around game (14.8 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 4.0 apg, 2.4 spg)<\/p>\n

\"Devin<\/p>\n

Now, with the NBA 2K26 Summer League title on the line, the two high-powered offenses will go toe-to-toe \u2013 looking to leave Vegas on top.<\/p>\n

Hornets\u2019 Mindset: \u201cWe\u2019re really trying to build a winning culture with the Hornets,\u201d said Jaylen Sims yesterday on a potential Summer League title. \u201cSo it would mean a lot to us<\/a>.\u201d
\nKings\u2019 Perspective: \u201cIt just shows how hard we play,\u201d said Jones on Sacramento moving a game shy of the title. \u201cHow much work we put in and how bad we want it<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sunday delivers two more consolation games \u2013 wrapping up the Summer League circuit for all 30 teams.<\/p>\n

Hawks vs. Celtics (6 ET, ESPNU)
\nGrizzlies vs. Clippers (8 ET, ESPNU)<\/p>\n

3. SUMMER SENDOFF: 10 SQUADS CLOSE THEIR VEGAS CIRCUIT<\/p>\n

\"Dillon<\/p>\n

Wizards 94, Knicks 85: Jamir Watkins was a force on both ends (23 pts, 8 reb, 6 stl, 4 3s), while Dillon Jones added a double-double (25 pts, 11 reb) to rally the Wizards past the Knicks in a game that saw 15 ties and 18 lead changes. | Recap<\/a><\/p>\n

Summer Close: Anton Watson (21 pts, 5 3s) and Dink Pate (20 pts, 10 reb, 1 must-see windmill<\/a>) led the Knicks, who finished Vegas at 1-4, while the Wizards improved to 2-3<\/p>\n

Rockets 104, Wolves 101: With the score tied at 100 and 32 ticks left, Houston\u2019s Adonis Arms delivered, picking off a pass and going coast-to-coast for the game-deciding bucket<\/a> to secure the Rockets\u2019 first dub in the desert. | Recap<\/a><\/p>\n

Balanced Boost: Arms (18 pts), Kevon Harris (18 pts, 6 ast) and Kennedy Chandler (20 pts, 6 ast) led six Rockets with 9+ points, overcoming an offensive clinic<\/a> by Minnesota\u2019s Tristen Newton (24 pts, 10 ast, 6 3s)<\/p>\n

\"David<\/p>\n

Garrett Ellwood\/NBAE via Getty Images<\/p>\n

Spurs 96, Pistons 84: All quarters except one were decided by one point or less, and it was that 34-23 second frame which pushed San Antonio past the finish line. The group picked up its fourth and final triumph in Vegas \u2013 once again behind David Jones-Garcia. | Recap<\/a><\/p>\n

Making His Mark: The sophomore forward (23 pts, 6 reb, 4-6 3pt) punctuated his strong showing on the strip with averages of 21.6 ppg and 52.9% from 3<\/p>\n

\"Khalif<\/p>\n

Suns 111, Blazers 87: Phoenix\u2019s backcourt of Khalif Battle (21 pts, 5 ast) and Boogie Ellis (19 pts, 6 ast) combined for 40 points and 11 dimes, sparking a 22-0 Suns run<\/a> in the 2nd quarter to break the game open \u2013 capping their Vegas circuit with a win. | Recap<\/a><\/p>\n

Warriors 82, Cavaliers 71: Undrafted guard Chris Manon scored in double figures for the fourth straight game with a team-high 17 points, along with 4 steals and 2 blocks, as the Warriors pulled away from the Cavs to finish Vegas at 3-2. | Recap<\/a><\/p>\n

4. WNBA ALL-STAR GAME: NAPHEESA COLLIER MAKES HISTORY<\/p>\n

\"Team<\/p>\n

Before she even set foot in Indiana, Napheesa Collier had her eye on history.<\/p>\n

An all-time season has been in the making. The Minnesota Lynx forward \u2013 now a five-time All-Star \u2013 is averaging a league-best 23.2 ppg while shooting over 50% from the field.<\/p>\n

That career-best pace has thrust her into the MVP conversation. Saturday, she showed why.<\/p>\n

Team Collier 151, Team Clark 131: Picking up new hardware<\/a>, Collier was named MVP of the 2025 WNBA All-Star Game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, crowning her 36-point, 9-rebound clinic. She led the charge as her squad pulled away in the opening quarter and never looked back.<\/p>\n

MVPhee: The captain\u2019s scoring spree on a 13-for-16 clip\u00a0marked the most points ever in the game\u2019s history, topping Arike Ogunbowale\u2019s record of 34 set last year
\nSpreading The Wealth: Playing without Caitlin Clark (groin), Team Clark tallied eight double-digit scorers, headlined by Kelsey Mitchell (20 pts) and Kiki Iriafen (17 pts, 10 reb)<\/p>\n

\"Napheesa<\/p>\n

On a record-breaking night, Collier also had company in the form of Skylar Diggins, who was eliminated in the First Round of Friday\u2019s Kia Skills Challenge.<\/p>\n

\u201cI knew I wanted to leave here with something,\u201d said the Seattle Storm guard postgame \u2013 and she did.<\/p>\n

More Records: Diggins registered the first-ever triple-double<\/a>\u00a0 (11 pts, 15 ast, 11 reb) in WNBA All-Star Game history \u2013 all accomplished while coming off the bench
\nFrame It: The 10-year veteran also broke the single-game assists record on the very play<\/a> that secured Collier\u2019s piece of history<\/p>\n

For the first time since 2022, the 4-point shot was in play. Attempts from two AT&T logos on each end \u2013 six feet behind the 3-point line \u2013 counted for four if successful.<\/p>\n

Let \u2018Em Fly: Team Collier took advantage of the new scoring spots, led by their namesake<\/a>
\nNewcomers: The first and last shots of the contest were both 4-pointers, and came off the hands of rookies Paige Bueckers<\/a> and Iriafen, respectively<\/p>\n

5. HS CIRCUIT: NIKE PEACH JAM FINALS; NIKE NATIONALS HEATING UP<\/p>\n

\"2025<\/p>\n

The 2025 Nike Peach Jam<\/a> Playoffs are underway in Augusta, S.C., where the next generation of stars are shining on one of the biggest stages in high school basketball.<\/p>\n

Saturday\u2019s quarterfinals and semifinals delivered a surplus of highlights, and fans were able to catch all the action on the NBA App, NBA.com and NBA YouTube \u2013 with select games on NBA TV.<\/p>\n

WhyNot?! With Tajh Ariza \u2013 the son of Trevor Ariza \u2013 leading the charge, Team WhyNot pulls off a thrilling 19-point rally<\/a> to advance to the semifinals
\nClear For Takeoff: Team Durant\u2019s Evans Barning Jr. takes flight for a mammoth poster<\/a>
\nFinishing Touch: Jasiah Jervis seals a win for the NY Rens with a slick behind-the-back dish<\/a>
\nGolden Touch: Marquette commit Sheek Pearson somehow got this circus shot to drop<\/a> \u2013 securing a dub for Brad Beal Elite<\/p>\n

Four championship games take place today on NBA TV, starting at 9 a.m. ET, with additional streaming on the NBA App and NBA.com.<\/p>\n

16U Finals (9 a.m. ET, NBA TV): Indy Heat vs. Florida Rebels
\n17U Finals (10:30 a.m. ET, NBA TV): NY Rens vs. Brad Beal Elite
\n15U Finals (12 ET, NBA TV): Georgia Stars vs. Team Takeover
\nPIT Finals (2 ET, NBA TV): NY Lightning vs. City Rocks Hope<\/p>\n

\"Nike<\/p>\n

Via thetoc.org<\/p>\n

On the girls\u2019 circuit, the Tournament of Champions and Nike Nationals are heating up in Chicago, where some of the top female high school hoopers are putting on a show.<\/p>\n

Saturday Standout: Highly touted recruit Sydney Savoury dropped 24 points on five 3s<\/a> while adding 10 boards for Michigan Crossover as they battled the Cal Stars
\nCan\u2019t Miss: Averie Lower was also scorching from downtown, going 5-for-5 from beyond the arc<\/a>, including some deep catch-and-shoot triples
\nIn Her Bag: Meanwhile, Autumn Fleary showed off her handle, weaving through traffic before finishing a tough scoop layup<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The handle. The hammer \u2013 and the Hornets heating up. The desert\u2019s buzzing as Charlotte faces Sacramento in…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":8569,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[557],"tags":[64,63,10419,590,85,8019],"class_list":["post-8568","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-nba","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-july-20-championship-sunday-in-vegas","tag-nba","tag-sports","tag-starting-5"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8568","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8568"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8568\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8569"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8568"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8568"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8568"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}