3 observations after Bona blocks 5 shots, summer Sixers lose at the buzzer originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
The Sixers suffered a buzzer-beating defeat Tuesday night to drop to 1-1 in the Salt Lake City summer league.
Jaylen Wells’ put-back floater just before the final horn lifted the Grizzlies to an 87-85 victory.
Wells scored 27 points. Jeff Dowtin Jr. led the Sixers with 18 points and six assists.
The Sixers’ third and final game in Utah will be Thursday at 9 p.m. ET vs. the Jazz. They’ll begin play in the Las Vegas summer league on Saturday.
Here are observations on their tight loss to Memphis:
Dowtin the vet surrounded by youngsters Â
Following an 0-for-6 game from three-point range in the Sixers’ summer-opening win over the Thunder, Jared McCain broke his long-range ice with two straight fast-break jumpers. Not surprising at all that a player with his shooting ability nailed a pair right away.
McCain didn’t have the same success from two-point territory, going 3 for 10 from the floor in a 12-point, four-assist performance.
As a team, the Sixers started 5 for 6 from three-point range and took an 18-point lead late in the first quarter. Dowtin went 3 for 4 from beyond the arc on the night and played another good game.
Credit to the 27-year-old guard for being the quintessential summer league vet — hitting shots, running the offense, and generally decreasing the usual chaos level of July basketball.
Rookie wing Justin Edwards had a nice evening, too. The one-and-done Kentucky product scored the Sixers’ first five points on a mid-range jumper in transition and a catch-and-shoot three off a McCain drive and kick. Edwards recorded 14 points on 5-for-7 shooting, three rebounds, two steals and two blocks.
Bona swinging away for blocksÂ
Adem Bona had a rough moment when he faked a dribble handoff, tried a sneak-attack drive, and got the ball stripped from his hands. Later, the 21-year-old center was whistled for a clear-cut moving screen. Bona won’t be an offensive hub anytime soon, but he’ll hope to develop his decision-making and skills when the ball comes to him at the top of the key.
His night wasn’t short on positive moments, though. In the second quarter, Bona ran a two-man game with McCain, rolled to the hoop, drew a foul and made both his free throws. He shot 6 for 6 at the foul line.
On the other end, last season’s Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year deterred and altered plenty of shots in the paint. He also blocked…
