Tough night for (most) state players at Las Vegas NBA Summer League

Dennis Smith Jr. led the Dallas Mavericks into the tournaments semifinals, but only two other players with local college ties advanced Thursday -- and one of them didnt play because of injury

It wasn’t a good night for players from state colleges in the NBA Las Vegas Summer League. Only three were on teams that advanced to the tournament’s quarterfinal round Thursday and one of them — Duke’s Jayson Tatum — didn’t play for the Boston Celtics because of right patella tendonitis. Ironically, the other player that had a major hand in helping his team advance in the summer league “playoffs” is the player that caught the most criticism for not leading his team into the college postseason. NC State’s Dennis Smith Jr. continued his impressive performance in Vegas by scoring 25 point and pulling down seven rebounds for the Dallas Mavericks in their 83-76 beating of the Sacramento Kings. It was the second 25-point game of the tournament for the former Wolfpack point guard, who is averaging an even 20 points in his four professional games. Another recent first round draft pick, North Carolina’s Justin Jackson, also scored 25 points in a losing effort for the Kings, while also recording four rebounds and four assists. The only other player with state ties still alive in the Vegas Summer league is NC State’s Scott Wood, who scored three points for the Celtics in their 93-69 elimination of the Golden State Warriors. The Celtics and Mavericks will play one another in Friday’s semifinals. Among the other familiar names finishing up their summer league action Thursday, North Carolina’s Brice Johnson had 13 points and five rebounds while fellow Tar Heels Kendall Marshall and Isaiah Hicks added 10 and eight points respectively in the Los Angeles Clippers’ loss to the Miami Heat, while Duke’s Quinn Cook hit for 16 points and seven assists in the New Orleans Pelicans’ loss to the San Antonio Spurs. After a strong start in his first two games, former UNC big man Kennedy Meeks also had a disappointing finish to his Vegas experience by going scoreless in the Toronto Raptors’ loss to the Portland Trailblazers. Here are the cumulative stats for all state players participating in Las Vegas:Brandon Ingram, Duke (Lakers): 1 game, 26.0 ppg, 9-17 FG, 1-4 3PT, 7-8 FT, 3.0 apg, 3.0 spgQuinn Cook, Duke (Pelicans): 5 G, 20.6 ppg, 43-74 FG, 8-16 3PT, 9-10 FT, 3.6 rpg, 4.8 apgDennis Smith, NC State (Mavs) 4 G, 20.0 ppg, 24-51 FG, 9-22 3PT, 23-31 FT, 6.3 rpg, 4.3 apgJayson Tatum, Duke (Celtics): 3 G, 17.7 ppg, 19-45 FG, 2-3 3PT, 13-15 FT, 8.0 rpgJohn Collins, Wake Forest (Hawks): 4 G, 17.5 ppg, 29-45 FG, 1-1 3PT, 12-16 FT, 10.3 rpgMarcus Paige, UNC (T-wolves): 3 G, 14.3 ppg, 15-39 FG, 8-20 3PT, 5-5 FT, 2.3 rpg, 4.7 apgJustin Jackson, UNC (Kings): 5 G, 14.2 ppg, 27-73 FG, 6-29 3PT, 11-12 FT, 4.0 rpg, 2.2 apgBrice Johnson, UNC (Clippers): 4 G, 13.8 ppg, 22-40 FG, 11-15 FT, 5.0 rpg, 1.3 bpgC.J. Williams, NC State (T-wolves): 4 G, 11.3 ppg, 15-38 FG, 4-18 3PT, 11-14 FT, 3.3 rpgRyan Kelly Duke (Hawks): 3 G, 10.7 ppg, 9-28 FG, 3-12 3PT, 11-13 FT, 4.0 rpgEric Griffin, Campbell (Jazz): 3 G, 10.7 ppg, 11-25 FG, 1-3 3PT, 5-9 FT, 7.0 rpg, 4.0 bpgJack Gibbs, Davidson (T-wolves): 4 G, 9.8 ppg, 15-40 FG, 7-20 3PT, 2-4 FT, 2.3 apgKennedy Meeks, UNC (Raptors): 3 G, 9.0 ppg, 12-22 FG, 1-3 3PT, 2-4 FT, 4.3 rpgTony Bradley, UNC (Jazz): 4 G, 8.5 ppg, 17-38 FG, 6.3 rpg, 1.0 bpgKendall Marshall, UNC (Clippers): 3 G, 7.0 ppg, 7-12 FG, 1-1 3PT, 6-7 FT, 2.3 rpg, 6.7 apgMatt Jones, Duke (Rockets): 1 G, 7.0 ppg, 1-4 FG, 1-3 3PT, 4-5 FT, 2.0 rpgIsaiah Hicks, UNC (Clippers): 4 G, 6.8 ppg, 11-18 FG, 5-8 FT, 2.3 rpg, 1.3 bpgAmile Jefferson, Duke (T-wolves): 3 G, 2.8 ppg, 4-10 FG, 3-6 FT, 3.8 rpg, 1.0 spgJ.P. Tokoto, UNC (Jazz): 2 G, 2.5 ppg, 2-9 FG, 1-6 3PT, 2.0 rpgNate Britt, UNC (Hawks): 2 G, 1.5 ppg, 1-4 FG, 0-2 3PT, 1-2 FT, 1.5 apgScott Wood, NC State (Celtics): 3 G, 1.0 ppg, 1-5 FG, 1-3 3PT, 1.0 rpg