Play will wrap up today in the Las Vegas Summer League with the Kings facing the Hornets in the championship game at 9 p.m. CT. Both teams advanced with convincing wins on Saturday, with Sacramento defeating Toronto, 98-88, and Charlotte routing Oklahoma City, 109-80.
Isaac Jones led the way for the Kings with 36 points and six rebounds in the semifinal matchup. The 25-year-old power forward appeared in 40 games as a rookie last season and is set to return after the team exercised its option on him last month. Sacramento also got 15 points from Mason Jones, who missed the previous game with an oblique injury, and 12 points and seven rebounds from rookie center Maxime Raynaud.
Charlotte was led by 25 points from Jaylen Sims, who appeared in six games with the team last season after signing a 10-day contract in April. The 26-year-old shooting guard is currently a free agent. Kon Knueppel, the fourth selection in last month’s draft, scored 17 points in 21 minutes before leaving the game after suffering a head injury while diving for a loose ball, according to Ben Golliver of The Washington Post (Twitter link).
Even if Knueppel returns today, the Hornets will be without two of their top players. First-round pick Liam McNeeley missed the past two games with right Achilles tendinopathy, while last year’s lottery pick Tidjane Salaün sat out the last three games due to right Achilles soreness.
There were six unbeaten teams during this year’s preliminary games, with the Raptors (+15.8), Thunder (+14.8), Hornets (+12.7) and Kings (+11.5) advancing due to point differential ahead of the Timberwolves (+9.5) and Hawks (+8.0).
Today’s contest will feature a matchup of former college teammates Nique Clifford and KJ Simpson, who spent two years together at Colorado, notes Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee. The Kings traded up to take Clifford with the 24th pick in this year’s draft, and he’s gotten off to a strong start in Summer League, averaging 16.2 points, 6.2 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 1.4 steals in five games while shooting 55.4% from the field and 50% from three-point range. Simpson has served as the Hornets’ primary ball-handler in Las Vegas and has posted 19.3 points, 4.0 rebounds, 5.5 assists and 1.5 steals in five games.
The Kings are seeking their third title since playoffs were added to the league in 2013. They defeated the Rockets in 2014 and the Celtics in 2021. The Hornets are chasing their first Summer League championship.