LJ Figueroa and Ausar Thompson steal the show Friday night with high-flying antics in this edition of Top Plays.
With final seeding of the Sunday slate in the balance, Friday was a day for offense at the NBA 2K24 Summer League as teams sought out their slots. Kobe Brown set the tone early with an outstanding performance for the LA Clippers, and players like Ausar Thompson, Charlie Brown Jr. and Hunter Tyson each fared well, too.
Ausar Thompson, Detroit Pistons
Ausar Thompson's strong game keyed a 4th-quarter surge by the Pistons.
Thompson’s breakout came in the Pistons’ last game, and he applied the findings to help power a late 22-8 run as they won again, this time 79-73 against the Spurs. Friday’s 18-point, 14-rebound double-double came efficiently (6-for-12 FGs, 2-for-5 on 3-pointers) and sets up a Sunday close against the Pacers. The No. 5 pick is looking like another fine chip for Detroit’s developing core.
Kobe Brown, LA Clippers
Kobe Brown dominates with 35 points against the 76ers at Summer League.
Brown has been putting together one of the more complete lines in Las Vegas, and Friday’s 35-point, eight-rebound, three-assist, four-steal, two-block showing powered a 102-91 victory against the Philadelphia 76ers. Through four games, he’s averaging 17.5 points, 8.8 rebounds, 2.3 steals and 1.3 blocks per game, looking every bit the part of a rotation contributor the Clippers managed to snag with the final pick of the first round. He’ll close out the summer slate against the Lakers (10 ET, ESPN2) in Sunday’s finale.
Bilal Coulibaly, Washington Wizards
Bilal Coulibaly finshes with 19 points in the Wizards' win Friday.
The Wizards made sure to get their man on draft day, trading up a pick to snag Coulibaly at No. 7 in an exchange with the Indiana Pacers. And Victor Wembanyama’s Metropolitans 92 teammate has begun to claim his space in the NBA atmosphere, with 19 points, four rebounds, three assists and four blocks in Friday’s 105-89 victory against the Thunder. The contributions are likely to start on defense, where his 7-foot wingspan can create problems sizing up and sizing down from his 6-foot-6 frame.
Hunter Tyson, Denver Nuggets
Hunter Tyson drops 31 points as the Nuggets rout Heat.
Tyson caught fire from the jump on Friday, and the Nuggets cooked the Heat wire-to-wire in a 112-81 rout. The fifth-year senior out of Clemson nailed seven 3-pointers, shooting 11-for-13 overall, and showing capability as a stretch four. Traded to the Nuggets after being drafted in the second round (No. 37 overall), recent seasons have proven there are few better organizations in which to develop.
Charlie Brown Jr., New York Knicks
Charlie Brown Jr. leads the Knicks to victory with 27 points.
Bouncing back-and-forth between the NBA G League and the NBA since latching on with a two-way contract in Atlanta, Brown Jr. has continued to grind. He even added a G League championship to his resume this season with the Delaware Blue Coats. The 6-foot-6 guard is averaging 19.3 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 1.8 spg and 1.8 bpg while shooting an impressive 54.7% overall (and 37.5% on 3-pointers) in Summer League. Friday night, his 27-point showing powered a 97-89 victory against the Celtics, and he added seven boards, five assists, two steals and a block against only two turnovers. It’s the kind of rounded performance that will continue to earn NBA looks.
