In a marquee matchup between top NBA draft picks at the NBA summer league in Las Vegas, No.2 pick Jalen Green and his Houston Rockets triumphed over No.1 overall pick Cade Cunningham and the Detroit Pistons. With two minutes left, Green’s third and final three-pointer gave the Rockets an 18-point lead. Green’s 25 points, five rebounds, and three assists led the Rockets to a 111-91 victory in a thrilling duel.
“I feel like I handled it pretty well”. Green told the Houston Chronicle. “I could have handled it a lot better. I was trying to get my teammates involved. You know I had a lot of turnovers [four]. But I was still trying to get everyone involved and not make it a one-on-one battle between me and Cade. I could have turned around and did that for myself, but we end up getting the win so that’s all that matters.”
Cunningham contributed 20 points, four rebounds, three steals, and two assists in the Pistons loss. The first overall pick after one season at Oklahoma State, Cunningham led Detroit with 20 points on 8-of-18 shooting from the field. “I know what the hype and everything was going into the game, and that’s a given,” Cunningham told The Athletic. “My main goal was to go in and get the chemistry right with our young core and figure each other out.”
Top NBA Draft Picks show-out in Summer League
The two top NBA draft picks offer a stark contrast in many ways. It’s easy to understand why Cunningham was chosen first overall. As a player, Cunningham plays at his own tempo and is constantly looking to involve his teammates. He’s just as comfortable as a scorer as a facilitator, and he’s rarely pressured.
Green, on the other hand, is already showing signs of becoming an explosive scorer. As a rookie, he is particularly adept at attacking downhill. Green had some early turnover issues, but he still managed to score 25 and lead the Rockets to the win.
While Cunningham and Green received top billing, Houston’s Alperen Sengun made his mark as well, putting up 21 points and eight rebounds. He’s shaping up to be a real steal for the Rockets. The Pistons got 15 points from Luka Garza, a high-scoring big man from Iowa who was picked 52nd overall.
When asked about facing Cunningham for the first time in the NBA, Green told ESPN that he admires the Pistons’ standout rookie. “It was fun,” Green told ESPN. “He’s a good player. … I have respect for him, that’s the reason we come on the court, and we’re gonna battle it every time. So it was a good game overall.”
Written by John Galietta
Instagram: @jgalietta17
Twitter: @jgalietta17
