Twelve minutes of former players was all Illinois fans got on day two of the NBA 2K24 Summer League, but fortunately, the day three schedule has much more to offer.
Featuring four former Illini across three different games, New Orleans versus Golden State will lead the way, with Tevian Jones and Brandin Podziemski sharing the court on opposite sides. However, before ESPN2 begins to broadcast that matchup at 9 p.m. CT, Illinois fans can look forward to two additional matchups featuring former Illini.
The most recent resident of Champaign-Urbana, Matthew Mayer, will suit up for the Houston Rockets as they look to move to 2-0 against the Detroit Pistons. Additionally, one year Illini Mark Smith will be representing the Denver Nuggets as they look to rebound and win their first game of the Summer League against the Atlanta Hawks at 8:30 p.m. CT on NBA TV.
Beginning the night at 5 p.m. CT on ESPN2, Mayer and the Rockets are coming off a thrilling buzzer-beating victory over the Portland Trail Blazers that unfortunately saw a total of zero minutes featuring the single year Illini.
A proven shooter throughout college, Mayer will always remain a constant threat to earn some minutes off of the bench. Especially with the loss of No. 4 overall pick Amen Thompson, the Rockets will have at the very least 28 additional minutes to fill.
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Following a brief intermission, Smith and the Nuggets will be next to take the floor. A one-year professional with BG Göttingen of the Basketball Bundesliga, Smith was one of three Illini who spent their first day at Summer League on the bench. As the lead man with BG Göttingen, Smith has led the team in both points and rebounds per game with 42/37/85 shooting splits.
An efficient and capable scorer, Denver may very well turn to Smith for complimentary scoring after just four players accounted for 71 of their 85 points.
Closing out the night for Illinois fans and NBA fans alike, Jones and Podziemski were the lone former Illini to play on day one of the Summer League.
Jones, who came off the bench for the Pelicans in their 102-88 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves, was one of just two players who ended the night with a positive plus-minus (+2). Despite Jones missing his only shot attempt, his second attempt was a fouled three-point attempt that saw him calmly sink all three shots.
Receiving 30 significant minutes for the Golden State Warriors in their game one loss to the L.A. Lakers, Podziemski struggled from the field (3-10) but still managed to make his impact on the glass and finished with 11 total rebounds. Further examination of Podziemski’s time at the California Classic Summer League last week suggests these offensive woes are the exception, rather than the expectation.
@blountco21
