Bacot Shines in Summer League Win Over Former UNC Teammate Love

Bacot Shines in Summer League Win Over Former UNC Teammate Love

In their first on-court matchup since their days as North Carolina teammates, both Armando Bacot and Caleb Lovedelivered solid performances—but it was Bacot who came out on top. His double-double helped the Memphis Grizzliesdefeat Caleb Love’s Portland Trail Blazers 96–86 on Saturday night in NBA Summer League action in Las Vegas.

Bacot tied his Summer League best with 14 points, while grabbing 12 rebounds and recording a personal league-high four blocks. One of those rejections came against Love, as he denied a driving layup—an exchange that earned a sly grin from Bacot.

Love, meanwhile, notched 18 points for the second straight game, though he shot just 7-of-21 from the field and 3-of-9from beyond the arc. He gave Portland a 65–62 lead with a deep pull-up three midway through the fourth quarter, but those would be his final points. Bacot hit a pair of free throws to spark an 8–3 Memphis run that put the Grizzlies ahead for good.

Justin McKoy saw limited action off the bench for Portland, logging just under 5½ minutes and scoring two points from the line.

In other Summer League action:

• RJ Davis saw his most extended minutes yet—nearly 17½ off the bench—for the Los Angeles Lakers in their 94–81 win over the New Orleans Pelicans. Davis set Summer League personal bests with nine points, five assists, along with two rebounds and a steal, while shooting 3-of-8 from the floor, including 1-of-5 from deep.

• In the Milwaukee Bucks’ 93–83 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers, Pete Nance posted his second straight double-digit scoring game with 12 points, four rebounds, and three blocks. Cormac Ryan, who dropped 18 in the Bucks’ opener, struggled in this one, going just 1-of-7 from the field for six points.

• Harrison Ingram earned his fifth straight start for the San Antonio Spurs, who improved to 2–0 in Las Vegas. Ingram played over 22 minutes—his most so far—and contributed four points, six rebounds, four assists, and a steal in their 76–69 win over the Dallas Mavericks.

On the other side, former Duke standout Cooper Flagg bounced back from a quiet debut to erupt for 31 points against San Antonio.

Upcoming Games Featuring Former Tar Heels (Sunday):

• Dawson Garcia, Garrison Brooks, and the Detroit Pistons vs. the Houston Rockets at 4 p.m. on ESPN2

• Leaky Black and the Washington Wizards vs. the Brooklyn Nets at 8 p.m. on ESPN2

• Pete Nance & Cormac Ryan and the Bucks vs. the Los Angeles Clippers at 9:30 p.m. on NBATV