Ryan Nembhard posts double-double, Graham Ike comes up just short in Summer League matchup between former Gonzaga teammates
LAS VEGAS – Graham Ike momentarily had a clear lane to the basket after collecting a bounce pass from Golden State teammate Yaxel Lendeborg during the first half of Wednesday’s NBA Summer League matchup at the Thomas & Mack Center.
What initially looked like it would be an easy layup or dunk ultimately resulted in a turnover. Providing some clutch help defense, Ryan Nembhard slid into the lane, pried the ball out of Ike’s hands and led a fastbreak the other way.
The former Gonzaga teammates brushed shoulders, occasionally matched up with each other on switches and shared a quick embrace in the handshake line after Ike’s Warriors handed Nembhard’s Mavericks a 101-90 loss on the opening day of Vegas Summer League.
There were nearly two Zag double-doubles in a game that saw Nembhard score 15 points and dish out 11 assists while Ike totaled nine points and nine rebounds.
Nembhard made 6 of 15 shots from the field and went 1 of 6 from the 3-point line while adding three rebounds and one steal. Ike finished 3 of 9 from the field, 2 of 2 from the free throw line and racked up three assists. The former Gonzaga forward also committed eight fouls, but fell two short of Summer League’s threshold for fouling out of a game.
Both players were in the starting lineup for their respective teams and neither wasted much time finding the score sheet. Ike converted multiple putbacks and dropped in a floater inside the first four minutes. Nembhard connected on a step-back 3-pointer in the opening minutes, but missed his next five looks from behind the arc. Nembhard was still able to find his way to the 15-point mark and was effective facilitating for Dallas while committing just two turnovers.
The 23-year-old point guard had just two days off after playing 19 minutes for Canada’s national team alongside older brother Andrew in a 116-78 FIBA World Cup qualifying win over Jamaica in Hamilton, Ontario. Nembhard went through just one practice with Dallas’ Summer League team before logging 35 minutes in the team’s opener on Thursday.
“They definitely wanted me to come down here and play, play some games,” Nembhard said. “It was good. Team Canada was a great experience to be with those guys and be around those guys. A great learning experience for me. Then just coming here, I met the guys yesterday. Trying to get acclimated to what we’re doing, but it was a good first game.”
Ike has now started in all three games he’s played at the California Classic and Vegas Summer League, making an immediate impact with his low-post scoring, rebounding and defensive activity. The All-American forward is attempting to latch on with the Warriors after signing an Exhibit 10 contract following the NBA draft.
Andrew Nembhard, who preceded his younger brother as Gonzaga’s point guard, was among the group of NBA players watching Thursday from courtside seats. Dallas forward Cooper Flagg, who teamed up with Ryan Nembhard last year at Summer League, was in attendance as was newly hired Mavericks coach Dusty May.
The former Michigan coach watched two members of his national championship team, Golden State’s Lendeborg and Dallas’ Morez Johnson, go head to head. Johnson led all scorers with 27 points in the game while Lendeborg finished with 21 points and 10 rebounds.
Jones shines for Pistons
Isaac Jones was one of the top performers at last year’s Summer League showcase and picked up where he left off on Thursday for the Detroit Pistons.
The former Washington State forward scored a game-high 22 points and had four rebounds in Detroit’s 101-93 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers. Jones made 9 of 15 shots from the field and went 2 of 4 from the 3-point line, playing 30 minutes in his Summer League debut for Detroit.
Jones played for Sacramento the last two years at Summer League before being waived by the Kings in November. The Pistons claimed the former Coug off waivers and signed him to a two-way contract.
Other locals …
– Former Gonzaga wing Tyon Grant-Foster played four minutes in his Summer League debut with San Antonio. Grant-Foster made his only shot and had one rebound in a 93-66 loss to Atlanta.