TOP 5 PLAYS OF THE NIGHT

Friday at the NBA 2K24 Summer League was a day for offence as teams competed for their spots, with the Sunday schedule’s final seeding hanging in the balance. Kobe Brown set the tone early for the LA Clippers with a stellar effort, while players like Ausar Thompson, Charlie Brown Jr., and Hunter Tyson all did well.

1. Ausar Thompson of the Detroit Pistons: Thompson’s breakthrough came in the Pistons’ last game, and he used what he learned to fuel a late 22-8 run that helped them defeat the Spurs 79-73. The efficient double-double of 18 points and 14 rebounds on Friday (6-for-12 FG, 2-for-5 on 3-pointers) sets up a matchup against the Pacers on Sunday. The No. 5 choice appears to be yet another excellent piece for Detroit’s growing core.

2. Kobe Brown of LA Clippers: Brown has been putting together one of the more complete lines in Las Vegas, and his performance against the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday, which included 35 points, eight rebounds, three assists, four steals, and two blocks, helped the team win 102-91. He has played four games and has a four-game average of 17.5 points, 8.8 rebounds, 2.3 steals, and 1.3 blocks, appearing every bit the rotation player the Clippers managed to choose with the last choice in the first round. He will play the Lakers in the final game of the summer schedule on Sunday.

3. Bilal Coulibaly of Washington Wizards: On draft day, the Wizards made sure to acquire their man by acquiring Coulibaly from the Indiana Pacers in return for moving up a pick to the seventh overall spot. And with 19 points, four rebounds, three assists, and four blocks in Friday’s 105-89 victory over the Thunder, Victor Wembanyama’s Metropolitans 92 teammate has started to stake out his place in the NBA environment. The contributions will probably start on defence, where his 7-foot wingspan can make it difficult to size up and down from his 6-foot-6 stature.

4. Hunter Tyson of Denver Nuggets: Tyson, a fifth-year senior out of Clemson who was drafted in the second round (No. 37 overall) and traded to the Nuggets, caught fire from the opening tip on Friday, and the Nuggets cooked the Heat wire-to-wire in a 112-81 rout. Recent seasons have shown there are few better organisations in which to develop.

5. Charlie Brown Jr of New York Knicks: With 27 points, Charlie Brown Jr. leads the Knicks to victory.

Since signing a two-way contract in Atlanta, Brown Jr. has alternated between playing in the NBA G League and the NBA, but he hasn’t stopped working hard. With the Delaware Blue Coats this season, he even boosted his résumé by winning a G League championship. The 6-foot-6 guard is shooting an incredible 54.7% overall (including 37.5% on 3-pointers) while averaging 19.3 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 1.8 spg, and 1.8 bpg in Summer League. His 27-point performance against the Celtics on Friday night helped the team win 97-89. He also contributed seven rebounds, five assists, two steals, two blocks, and only two mistakes. This kind of well-rounded performance will continue to garner NBA interest.