Thomas and Mack Center in Las Vegas was fully packed on Monday night as the Los Angeles Lakers played against the Portland Trail Blazers. It was the championship game of the 2017 NBA Summer League, and the place was crowded with more than 17,000 fans in the stands.
The Lakers were shorthanded in this one as their rookie sensation Lonzo Ball was sidelined due to a calf injury. But even without the services of the second overall pick from this year's NBA Draft, the Lakers were determined to take home the trophy. Trail Blazers came into the championship game after winning against the Memphis Grizzlies in the Semifinals, while the Lakers won the Semifinals matchup against the Dallas Mavericks.
Big second half by the Lakers
Both teams managed to score in the first period of the game, and it seemed like no defense was played in the first 12 minutes. Trail Blazers held a 19-18 lead midway through the first quarter, and by the end of the period, they had a 30-27 lead. Teams continued to trade baskets in the second quarter as well, but Portland managed to maintain the lead. With 6 minutes left in the second period, they were up by 4 points at 48-44.
The Lakers managed to cut down the deficit to just one point at halftime, and the score was 59-58 for Portland after the first half. Second half was all about the Lakers. After allowing 59 points in the first half, they held the Trail Blazers to 39 points in the final two-quarters.
Los Angeles outscored Portland 26-20 in the third period and held an 84-79 lead heading into the final 12 minutes of the game. They closed out the game routinely in the fourth quarter and celebrated a convincing 110-98 victory.
The "Purple and Gold" outrebounded Portland 38-34 in Monday's victory and held them to 43.7% shooting from the field.
Lakers, on the other hand, shot 61.5% from the field and connected on 14 of their 24 three-point attempts. Both teams finished the game with 21 assists each.
Kuzma leads the Lakers to the title
All five starters scored in double-digits for Los Angeles in their championship game victory on Monday. With Lonzo Ball sidelined, it was Kyle Kuzma who led the way for the Lakers.
He finished the game with 30 points on 11-for-16 shooting and also added 10 rebounds. Kuzma was named the Summer League Championship Game MVP. Matt Thomas added 23 points for the Lakers while Vander Blue contributed with 20 points and six assists. Caleb Swanigan was the leading scorer for Portland in this one, as he finished with 25 points and 12 rebounds.
