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The San Antonio Spurs will face the Charlotte Hornets on Day 5 of the NBA Summer League 2021 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
The Thursday night encounter will give the two teams an opportunity to join the winners’ circle in the MGM Resorts Las Vegas Summer League as they both sport 0-2 records.
The Chicago Bulls defeated the San Antonio Spurs, 92-89, on Tuesday. The Spurs lost the game despite leading by 22 points earlier in the game. They were led by Tre Jones, who had 23 points, and Jaylen, who scored Morris 20.
The Charlotte Hornets, on the other hand, suffered back-to-back losses during the first two days of the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas. They suffered an 80-70 defeat to the Sacramento Kings on Monday as they struggled to put points on the board after turning the ball over multiple times. Forward Arnoldas Kulboka and guard D.J. Carton were the top scorers for the Hornets with 13 points apiece.
Match Details
Fixture - San Antonio Spurs vs Charlotte Hornets | NBA Las Vegas Summer League 2021
Date & Time - Thursday, August 12th, 3:00 PM ET (Friday, August 13th, 12:30 AM IST)
Venue - Cox Pavilion, Las Vegas, NV
San Antonio Spurs Preview
Devin Vassell started against the Chicago Bulls but had to leave after suffering tightness in his right hamstring while only playing seven minutes. Apparently, the tightness had already occurred in the previous game. The San Antonio Spurs will likely sit him out in this game.
Rookie Joe Wieskamp had 11 points, five rebounds, two assists plus a steal and a block in 26 minutes of playing time on Tuesday.
Jones and Primo (if he’s available) are probably going to be the San Antonio Spurs’ main weapons against the Charlotte Hornets. However, the Spurs will need more from DaQuan Jeffries, who has been averaging just 8.5 points per game in Las Vegas Summer League.
Also Check out: Complete NBA Summer league Schedule 2021
Key Player - Joshua Primo
The San Antonio Spurs held out Joshua Primo against the Chicago Bulls. He may have been worn out after playing the night before and in the Salt Lake City Summer League last week.
However, Spurs Summer League head coach Mitch Johnson said that Primo sat out as a precautionary measure for an undisclosed injury.
After a few days of rest, there’s a chance that the San Antonio Spurs will play him against the Charlotte Hornets.
The Spurs' first-round pick of the 2021 draft registered 11 points, three rebounds and two assists in his first Summer League game in Salt Lake City. He then had eight points, two rebounds, two assists and two steals in his first game in Las Vegas.
If he returns to the lineup on Thursday, Primo should help the San Antonio Spurs with his poise and uncanny floor game. At 18 years of age, the Alabama product is surprising many people with how good he is and how well he handles himself on the court.
San Antonio Spurs Predicted Lineup
Point Guard - Tre Jones l Shooting Guard - Joshua Primo l Small Forward - DaQuan Jeffries l Power Forward - Joe Wieskamp l Center - Nate Renfro
Charlotte Hornets Preview
The Charlotte Hornets had 22 turnovers against the Sacramento Kings on Monday. This was a day after they coughed up the ball 21 times to the Portland Trail Blazers. If the Hornets can pinpoint just one statistic that they need to improve on, it’s their turnovers.
Perhaps feeling the effects of playing the night before, the Charlotte Hornets played sloppy basketball and made just 25 of their 63 attempts (39.7%), including an ice-cold 5-of-20 (25%) from three-point range.
LiAngelo Ball had 10 points and five rebounds for the Charlotte Hornets, who were not as cohesive as they should have been. A better outing from Kai Jones and a return to form for James Bouknight will do wonders for the Hornets against the San Antonio Spurs.
Also Check out: Charlotte Hornets Complete NBA Summer League Schedule
Key Player - James Bouknight
James Bouknight, who had a brilliant first Summer League game for the Charlotte Hornets, was mostly quiet against the Sacramento Kings. He made just 4-of-11 from the field as he struggled against the defense by the opposing team’s Davion Mitchell.
Mitchell hounded his fellow rookie into shooting poorly and made him turn the ball over five times.
Nevertheless, the Charlotte Hornets rookie showed flashes of his potential despite having an off night on Monday. He should be ready for the challenge that the San Antonio Spurs will pose against him.
Charlotte Hornets Predicted Lineup
Point Guard - Grant Riller l Shooting Guard - James Bouknight l Small Forward - Arnoldas Kulboka l Power Forward - Kai Jones l Center - Nick Richards
Spurs vs Hornets Match Prediction
Only one of these teams will win their first game in Las Vegas, and it may well be the San Antonio Spurs. While the Charlotte Hornets appear to have more impressive individual players, team chemistry remains an issue.
The Hornets’ trio of Bouknight, Jones and Ball looks promising. If they can mesh well with Kulboka and Carton, they could make this game against the Spurs more interesting.
If Primo plays like he did in his first few Summer League games, while Jones and Wieskamp provide much-needed scoring, the San Antonio Spurs will be sailing home with their first victory in Las Vegas.
Where to watch Spurs vs Hornets
The San Antonio Spurs vs Charlotte Hornets game will be televised nationally in the U.S. by ESPN's family of networks along with NBA TV. International viewers can also watch the game live on the NBA League Pass.
