The Celtics wrapped up Summer League play with a 101-80 win over the Hawks on Sunday from Las Vegas. The C’s finished with a 4-1 record this summer, looking like a solid team that featured multiple potential NBA contributors.
The C’s sprinted out to a double-digit lead against the Hawks, who came into Sunday’s game with a 4-0 record. Despite both teams sporting solid records, neither squad was able to make the Summer League semifinals. Instead, they got in one last consolation game before calling it a summer.
It was a C’s domination throughout the game as their lead peaked at 24 points. The Hawks made it interesting midway through the third quarter, but Boston pulled away to put the finishing touches on the blowout.
Isaiah Wong had 18 points and six assists to lead the Celtics. Ben Gregg made the most of his minutes with 13 points and eight rebounds while Jalen Bridges put up 16 points. Kobe Johnson had 14 points and six rebounds for the Hawks.
The Celtics now enter the offseason after wrapping up their five-game slate in Las Vegas. Here are four takeaways from Boston’s win over Atlanta:
Calling it a summer: Jordan Walsh and Baylor Scheierman, the main pair of Celtics returners, got the night off after playing in the previous four games. They were both leaned upon heavily in Las Vegas; Walsh even got ejected in the Heat loss. Walsh continued to show strides in his game, putting up 15.0 points, 4.0 rebounds and 1.3 assists, shooting 38.9% from 3 on 4.5 attempts per game. Scheierman was in a slump in Vegas, finishing with averages of 12.3 points, 5.3 rebounds and 6.8 assists per game on 27.4% shooting (20.5% on 3s). Both Walsh and Scheierman will have a chance to compete for a rotation spot this fall starting with training camp.
Final impression: Hugo Gonzalez finished Summer League with eight points on 2-for-8 shooting, including 1-for-7 on 3-pointers. The 19-year-old was far from perfect as he also had a rocky second game in Vegas. But that’s part of the growing pains for the 28th overall pick. There was a lot to like about the rookie even though there were some struggles. As advertised, his activity level was consistently high as he played with a great energy. Gonzalez will still need to add to his game, but he showed flashes of why the Celtics took him in the first round in this year’s draft.
Little of everything: Amari Williams was everywhere throughout the first half, making the most of his 13:30 on the court. The big man filled up the box score with six points, eight rebounds and four assists, though he did have three turnovers. The big man’s passing ability has been well-documented and he showed that with some nifty looks Sunday. Williams is a fun watch when he has the ball in his hands as he looks to have a bright future in the league.
Everyone got to play: The Celtics unleashed their bench since it was the Summer League finale, allowing everyone to get some playing time. That included guys like Gregg, Aaron Scott, Hayden Gray and Zach Hicks, all of whom had played in just one game before Sunday. They’re all looking to showcase their own skills, so it was one last opportunity before they look for their next stop.
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