The Miami Heat took the win against the Boston Celtics in Summer League action tonight. It was a tight game, but there was no question that Jaime Jaquez Jr. wasn’t going to let this Heat team lose. Chances are, Jaquez Jr. won’t appear in many games this summer or anymore. The team won’t want to risk him getting injured. He had a fantastic showing, but his health should be the number one priority as he’s a big asset to their main roster. This team has pulled at wins without the young star, so losing him for the rest of the NBA 2k25 tournament in Las Vegas won’t be a big deal.
Team Effort From Miami
It wasn’t just Jaquez Jr. lighting up the court. Sioux Falls Skyforce forward Cole Swider was a force off the bench, scoring 15 points in 20 minutes. Josh Christopher also had a nice game with 20 points and three steals. Both of these guys were strong off the bench and had key minutes that led to this win. One of Christopher’s best steals came in the third quarter. It led to a two-point bucket from Jaquez Jr.
To continue, the star guard had a 29-point night to go along with eleven rebounds, five assists, and a steal. Following him, rookie Kel’el Ware, who also started, scored 17 points and three big blocks. One of his key blocks was with around a minute left on the clock. Jaden Springer pushed the ball to try and give his team a chance, but he was met by the rookie, who swatted the attempted shot, keeping his team in front by six.
Good Showing From Boston
Despite the loss, there were some great things seen from this Celtics team. However, they lost control of the game at the end and could not protect the ball or find the right shots. A player that stood out for the team was Jaden Springer. Boston picked up Springer from the Philadelphia 76ers mid-last season. He had 23 points, two steals, and six assists. Springer was a solid grab for the Cs, as he is a solid defensive player and still very young.
Late in the second round the team drafted Anton Watson. The forward struggled to get started, but ended the game with a bang as he had a big-time block on Jaime Jaquez Jr. To follow, rookie Baylor Scheierman had 13 points shooting 44.4% from the field and 42.9% from three. Once this kid gets comfortable, he will be an incredible shooter for the Cs.
Lastly, JD Davidson, who just signed a two-way with the team, played very well with 19 points and seven assists. However, he struggled to protect the ball. There were multiple times where he played one-on-one ball, got clamped up, and stripped leading to a bucket at the other end.
Tight Finish Shows Summer League Excitement
This game, along with other close contests, shows exactly why people should be watching the Summer League. Though the Heat got a bigger lead towards the end, the contest was back and forth for quite some time. Any time Miami would make a five-point jump, the Celtics would turn around, score, and get a defensive stop. However, the stop wouldn’t lead to points on the other end, letting the Heat retain the five-point lead.
There have been some blowouts this summer. However, a majority of these games have ended with no more than a ten-point lead. One of the most exciting endings was the Jaylen Wells buzzer beater for the Memphis Grizzlies. These two teams showed up today, and brought the Heat Celtics rivalry to the Summer League. It will be fun to see what these teams do next.
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