Only a few weeks after former Illini Terrence Shannon Jr. was drafted No. 27 overall by the Minnesota Timberwolves, Shannon made his NBA Summer League debut on Friday afternoon in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Timberwolves took on the New Orleans Pelicans in their first game, and Shannon was in the starting lineup, alongside fellow rookie and eighth-overall pick Rob Dillingham. Timberwolves veterans Mike Conley Jr., Naz Reid and Karl-Anthony Towns, as well as former Illini Malcolm Hill (who plays for the Pelicans), were in attendance for the matchup.
Shannon got on the board early with a massive poster dunk on Pelicans rookie and No. 21 overall pick Yves Missi, inciting roars from the crowd in the Thomas & Mack Center. He drew a foul as he rose up and was able to knock down the free throw to finish the three-point play.
Midway through the quarter, Shannon knocked down a three and hit two free throws after drawing another foul on a drive to the hoop. He checked out with eight points at the three-minute mark of the first quarter. When the buzzer sounded to end the first quarter, Minnesota led 24-23.
Shannon checked back in at the beginning of the second quarter and immediately showed his skills as a finisher in transition. First, Leonard Miller stole the ball and passed to Dillingham, who dropped it off to a cutting Shannon for a two-handed flush. Only moments later, Shannon got the ball on a fast break with nobody near him, throwing down another two-handed dunk to raise his point total to 12, prompting a timeout from the Pelicans.
“They told me to be aggressive,” said Shannon after the game. “And Rob even telling me to keep attacking, keep shooting and keep going to the basket.”
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After the timeout, Shannon continued his aggressive play, sprinting the full length of the court and drawing a lot of contact. However, he missed both free throws. Shannon did not score the rest of the first half, checking out with two minutes on the clock. At halftime, Minnesota was still in the lead, 45-40.
With seven and a half minutes to go in the third quarter, Dillingham grabbed a steal and ran the court with Shannon, dishing it to his fellow rookie for an emphatic slam. Shannon hit a technical free throw a minute later to up his point total to 15. He exited the game with four and a half minutes left in the third quarter but returned with two minutes to go, scoring his 16th and 17th points off of a hard drive along the baseline to the basket.
To start the final quarter of play, Shannon hit a baseline midrange jumper off an inbounds play, giving him his seventh bucket of the afternoon. A few minutes later, Shannon missed a deep three from the top of the key but made up for it on the next play, driving along the baseline, drawing a foul and knocking down both free throws. Shortly after, he was blocked on a drive but the Timberwolves regained possession, allowing Shannon to get the ball back in his hands and score on his second attempt. With under a minute to go and the Timberwolves only up by two, Shannon took control once again, driving in traffic to extend the Timberwolves lead to four.
Minnesota would go on to win the game 81-74. Shannon was the game’s leading scorer, with 25 points on 9-14 shooting from the field and 1-4 shooting from three. Despite an outstanding offensive showcase, Shannon’s defense was just as impressive as his offense. The 6-foot-6 guard contributed three rebounds, a steal and two blocks. He was also vocal with his teammates and aggressive in contesting shots, but he stayed under control, only committing two fouls.
“You’ve got to do whatever you’ve got to do to be on the floor,” said Shannon. “Whether it’s being vocal or playing hard or going and getting a rebound, be a good defensive player.”
Shannon will next take the floor on Sunday at 2:30 Pacific time, as the Timberwolves take on former Illini Giorgi Bezhanishvili and the Indiana Pacers.
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