Scrimmage Game #1:
Los Angeles Lakers 123 | Washington Wizards 116
LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Kyle Kuzma, and Dwight Howard were all unavailable for the Lakers, so in comes the unlikely duo of JR Smith and Dion Waiters to save the day.
Smith and Dion led the way with 20 and 18 points, respectively. Alex Caruso also played well as he paraded an all-around line – 17 points, five rebounds, six assists. Overall, the Lakers shot 48.8% from the floor, including an efficient 46.4% from three (13-for-28).
Sensational rookie Rui Hachimura had a team-high 19 points for the Wizards. He was backed up by Jerome Robinson (18 pts) and Ish Smith (12 pts, 6 ast)
Scrimmage Game #2:
Sacramento Kings 106 | Los Angeles Clippers 102
The Kings earned a confidence-boosting come-from-behind victory. They overcame a 12-point deficit late in the third quarter against the stacked Clippers – and yes, both Kawhi Leonard and Paul George played.
Six Kings scored in double figures, with Bogdan Bogdanovic’s game-high 21 points pacing everyone. Buddy Hield added 17, De’Aron Fox , Harrison Barnes, and Harry Giles each had 12, and emerging journeyman DaQuan Jeffries had another solid day with 11 points.
Kawhi Leonard (17 pts), Paul George (19 pts), and Marcus Morris (18 pts) were the Clipps’ top scorers in a losing effort.
Scrimmage Game #3:
Utah Jazz 112 | Brooklyn Nets 107
The Jazz controlled majority of the game and went to the fourth quarter with a 12-point lead. The Nets cut it to two with under two minutes remaining but weren’t able to complete the comeback.
The key guys guided the Jazz – Rudy Gobert had a team-high 20 points, Mike Conley added 18, Donovan Mitchell scored 14 to go along a team-high four assists, and sixth man Jordan Clarkson came off-the-bench to chip in 12 points.
Caris LeVert’s 23 points and six assists (both game-highs) highlighted the Nets’ attack, along with Jarrett Allen’s double-double of 19 points and 10 boards.
Scrimmage Game #4
Orlando Magic 114 | Denver Nuggets 110
Smooth-flowing team play and red-shooting helped stir the Magic to good win. They dished out 30 assists, shot 18-for-37 from downtown, and had six guys scoring in double figures.
Heralded third-year forward Jonathan Isaac made his return from a lengthy injury with a very efficient performance. He posted 13 points and seven boards on 5-for-6 shooting in just seven minutes of action.
The Nuggets had their usual free-for-all offense on display, and even had more double-digit guys than the Magic despite a rather flat performance overall. Seven had 10 or more, as led by Jamal Murray’s 23 and Michael Porter Jr.’s 19 – the two combined to shoot 16-for-25 from the field.
Scrimmage Game #5:
New Orleans Pelicans 124 | Milwaukee Bucks 103
In one of the weirdest outcomes of the scrimmage games thus far, a Zion Williamson-less Pelicans blew out the Bucks, all despite Giannis Antetokounmpo scoring 30 points in just 23 minutes.
The Pels, who’s one of the worst defensive teams in the league, also held the top-ranked Bucks offense to just 39% shooting (26% from three).
Veteran sharpshooter JJ Redick made his presence felt in limited play, pouring in a team-high 20 points for the Pels in just 15 minutes. The play on the point guard slot was solid as well, with Jrue Holiday and Lonzo Ball scoring 14 and 12, respectively, and dishing out three assists apiece. Rookie big man Jaxson Hayes, meanwhile, tallied 17 points on 5-for-7 shooting.
