Lester Quinones, Brandin Podziemski and Gui Santos fill up the box score in amped up summer duel with Kings

A report live from deafening crowd in Sacramento

The master Summer League post index has links to all the game previews and reports, and the full Summer League schedule

Full box score here.

Whew, I don’t think I’ll ever go to another Summer League game as fun as that one. I had no expectations, but it was a special convergence:

• quite a big crowd for July 4 eve

• Unusual for a summer league game to have a proper home team

• SAC crowd generally excited due to great season

• SAC *hates* GSW extra for beating them in the playoffs a couple of months ago

• just enough GSW fans to make it spicy

• Keegan Murray playing

• close game throughout

The crowd was playoff-intensity in the first quarter. They cooled off to mere regular season levels for the rest of the game, and always got up for the call-and-response “Keegan” “MURRAY”. There were scattered cowbells that were also piercing.

Podz and LQ played well, Gui came through in second half.

Podz played pretty well with lots of nice passes, excellent energy on the boards, got into the paint more than you’d think. I think his play would be multiplied by having players around him who can play around his creativity and vision.

Podz body language was grouchy all game. There was one sequence in the 4th where he drove but the roller did not roll so he could receive the pass, so Podz had to just go. The next play Podz seemed to be frustrated and tried to fire a pass to the opposite corner through traffic for a pick-2.

I’ve already mentioned in the game notes how solid LQ was. I was impressed. Gui has a god of chaos thing going.

Apricot In-Game Notes

• I assume TJD and Podz will start summer league, but if TJD launches 3 threes, he should be benched. Honestly, he should be benched for longer so he doesn’t get any weird ideas.

Jamie Jaquez and Brandon Miller

• Watching Jamie Jaquez in Summer League debut. No one looks like they know what they’re doing.

• As I talk Jaquez throws down a sweet dunk thirty feet away from me

• Ooooh. Jaquez is running the PNR arguably better than Hood Schifino

• Actually I’m watching it LIVE moohaha. Great seats about eight rows from the court

• JJJ looks too good for Summer League. Now starting to goof off a bit with an ambitious fast break pass

• Bay Area legend Bouyea throws down massive dunk at game’s end that has crowd chanting his name

• Brandon Miller with a rough nervous start.

• Last year’s tourney candidate Blake Wesley looks twice as fast as everyone else. Champagnie doing work.

The Main Event: Kings v Warriors at Golden 1 Arena

• [On the news that TJD won’t play] Booooooo

• Hahaha Kings fans seriously booing the GSW summer league team. I love it.

• My phone is dying so my live posts won’t happen much if at all.

• It is actually freaking loud in the arena. Kings fans representing hard

• Just so you know, Keegan came in regular season intensity and dunked on Santos on his first possession of the game and it is deafeningly loud here. I think SAC has not forgiven GSW for the playoffs.

• GSW actually called a timeout in the first minute. I love this.

• Kings do a very effective thing everytime announcer says Keegan, crowd screams MURRAY.

• LQ with two great plays including the fake dunk. LQ impressive.

• Crowd and maybe Keegan mad at LQ taking trash. Keegan comes right back and scores.

• LQ with a nasty step back three. Even the crowd had to gasp in appreciation. Did not expect the LQ-KM duel.

• Gui always plays like he thinks he’s the best player in the court.

• Keegan getting guarded by smalls. Mostly effectively.

• 2nd quarter crowd still very happy when good things happen for SAC but no longer white hot hatred for anything GSW does.

• Podz with some good passes not converted.

• No E1P, I didn’t bring my equipment on the road, sadly

• Podz running over to animatedly correct Johnson’s positioning on inbounds. Could be healthy, can also imagine that wearing on teammates.

• Podz with some good cuts, not rewarded

• LQ showing impressive burst and composure. Held his own defending Keegan also.

• Then… LQ first tech for flopping. I want to see a replay.

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Free Agency Live Updates

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If you want to help me keep this up to date, please email me at apricotan@gmail.com. Many thanks to Run_TMC for helping out. I won’t be able to update much for the next couple of days since I’ll be at Summer League.

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