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The Sacramento Kings did something that no other team has ever done in the Las Vegas NBA Summer League when it beat the Boston Celtics in the championship game.
Sacramento walloped Boston, 100-67, to win the 2021 summer league championship from the Thomas & Mack Center.
It was the largest win in Las Vegas summer league championship game history. With the win, the Kings became the first team to win two separate summer league championships with the first coming in 2014.
The lead grew every quarter for Sacramento in a game where both teams held double-digit leads at one point.
It was a fast start for the Celtics who got guard Payton Pritchard back after playing in the Portland Pro-Am.
During that time away, Pritchard scored 149 points in two games highlighted by a 92-point debut.
That was not the case on this night.
Pritchard started fast getting Boston out to a 12-2 lead on three assists and two rebounds.
To that point, guard Aaron Nesmith had eight points on 3-of-3 from the field.
However, a big opening quarter from Kings forward Louis King who scored 10 points in the first 10 minutes.
King was named the Championship Game Most Valuable Player after posting a game-high 21 points with four made three-pointers.
The defense from No. 9 overall Davion Mitchell on Pritchard proved to be the difference throughout the night.
By halftime, Mitchell had helped hold Pritchard to two points.
He finished with nine points and seven assists.
Mitchell has now won championships at the AAU, high school, collegiate and NBA, despite it just being summer league.
The game was closed in the fourth quarter by some big shots from guard Marvin Coleman II, who scored 14 points in 12 minutes.
Sacramento built a lead as large as 33 points.
Nesmith went 1-for-7 the rest of the way after his 3-for-3 start, ending up with 12 points.
Pritchard six points on 3-of-9 shooting to go along with rebounds and eight assists.
It was the first summer league title game appearance for the Celtics.
Green, Pels end summer league 5-0 despite no title game invite
New Orleans head coach Willie Green couldn’t have asked for a better summer league experience with his new team.
The Pelicans dominated the Minnesota Timberwolves, 87-59, from the Cox Pavilion on the last day of the MGM Resorts NBA Summer League.
In the equivalent of a bronze medal game, New Orleans improved to 5-0 during the Las Vegas summer league.
Due to point differential, the Pelicans were third in the standings and missed the chance to play in the championship game.
With first round draft pick Trey Murphy III sitting, New Orleans received a complete team effort as five players scored in double figures, four off-the-bench.
Forward Daulton Hommes led the way with 17 points on 7-of-13 from the floor including three makes from downtown.
Ten of the 11 made three-pointers came from the bench.
In addition, 58 of the 87 points came from the bench.
The Pelicans once led by as much as 31 points.
Forward Naji Marshall recorded a double-double with just rebounds and assists posting 10 in both categories. Marshall missed out on the chance for a triple-double after finishing with five points on 1-of-5 shooting.
Minnesota was led by 13 points from guard Isaiah Miller off-the-bench.
He was the only Timberwolf in double figures.