LAS VEGAS — The Celtics closed ten days in Las Vegas with a 103-98 loss to the 76ers, and finished Summer League with a 2-3 record.
Drew Peterson, who sat out the last two games, was back in the starting lineup, alongside Jordan Walsh, Baylor Scheierman, Anton Watson, and Killian Tillie. Jaelen House, Tyler Cook, and Tristan Enaruna contributed off the bench.
Walsh broke out of a shooting slump to hit his first three three-pointers of the night, and finished the game with 18 points on 7-14 shooting. He also had 7 rebounds, 2 blocks, and 2 assists, but at times, seemed rushed and finished with six turnovers.
JD Davison, Neemias Queta, and Jaden Springer — who all appeared, and excelled, earlier in Summer League — sat out of this one, giving more unsigned players a chance for increased minutes.
In their absence, Jaelen House provided a boost off the bench, adding 17 points and 6 assists. House, a pesky guard who went undrafted out of the University of New Mexico, is also the son of the former Celtic and current NBC analyst Eddie House. He came on in the final two Summer League games and could be an interesting add in Maine.
Tyler Cook, who went to high school with Jayson Tatum and has played overseas for the past few years, had the best +/- for the Celtics, and added 16 points on 5-8 shooting.
Anton Watson continued a solid Summer League campaign with a 15-point, 4-rebound, 3-assist performance. D.J. MacLeay has already deemed Watson an NBA-level defender, and Watson seemed increasingly comfortable offensively as Sumer League progressed.
The Celtics led 33-30 after the first quarter, and 52-49 at the half. But, they were outscored 34-21 in the third quarter, and faced a 10-point deficit heading into the final period.
A late push led by Baylor Scheierman, who had 8 fourth-quarter points, made it a one-possession. But, both Scheierman and Walsh missed potential game-tying three-point attempts in the final minute.
Scheierman began 0-7 from the field but hit two three-pointers in the fourth quarter to help cut the deficit to three and in position to tie it up. He finished with 13 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists. Peterson, who recently re-signed with the Celtics on a two-way, added 6 points, 3 rebounds, and 3 assists, and was tasked with ball-handling responsibilities when House took the bench.
For the 76ers, David Jones led the way, finishing with 23 points (9-15 FG) and 8 rebounds. Judah Mintz added 18 points and 4 steals, while Jordan Tucker provided a spark off the bench and finished with 19 points on 7-10 shooting. Jared McCain, who was drafted 16th overall last month, finished with 15 points in 16 minutes.
