LAS VEGAS — The Celtics lost for the first time in Summer League, falling to the Heat 100-96 on Monday at the Cox Pavilion. The C’s rallied from a double-digit deficit but the Heat made just enough shots down the stretch to secure the victory. Boston dropped to 2-1 in Summer League play.
The Celtics struggled offensively early as their inefficiency had them facing a 13-point deficit at halftime. But they came out strong in the third quarter, scoring 31 points with Baylor Scheierman putting up 11 points, three assists and three steals in the frame. That allowed the Celtics to erase the deficit, setting up a close finish. But it wasn’t enough as the Heat had just enough makes to close out the win.
Scheierman finished with 19 points, nine rebounds and five assists as he stepped up in the second half. The C’s had seven total players in double-figure scoring. Kel’el Ware had 21 points and 15 rebounds while Pelle Larsson finished with 24 points.
The Celtics face the Lakers at 9 p.m. Thursday at the Thomas and Mack Center. Here are four takeaways from Boston’s loss to Miami:
Summer League ejection: Jordan Walsh put together his best Summer League game thus far, but that came to an early end. Walsh was ejected with 3:34 left in the second quarter after picking up his second technical foul of the game. He played with fire but it got to the point where it was too much. Walsh finished with 13 points and three rebounds on 5-for-8 shooting in 10 minutes Monday.
Couldn’t complete comeback: While it looked like the Celtics were about to pull off a nice comeback, they couldn’t pull off the finish Monday. They had a chance to improve to 3-0, which would’ve put them in a solid position to potentially qualify for the Summer League semifinals. But at 2-1, they’ll likely need to win their final game against the Lakers and hope other results go in their favor elsewhere.
Growing pains: Hugo Gonzalez impressed in his Summer League opener, but the 19-year-old had his struggles his second time out. Gonzalez put up 10 points, seven rebounds and three assists, but he shot 3-for-12 from the field and committed six turnovers. He also had seven personal fouls called on him (players area allowed up to 10 in Summer League). There were times throughout the game where the frustration clearly mounted for the 28th overall pick. But just like his debut, one Summer League game won’t make nor break his career. It was another data point to use, though, as he looks to continue developing his game.
Surprise addition continues to produce: Charles Bassey wasn’t on the initial roster, but he’s quickly becoming an interesting name this Summer League. The big man is playing for a contract in front of Celtics and other scouts after playing with the Spurs the past three seasons. Bassey had another productive game, collecting 10 points and nine rebounds in just his latest solid performance. Considering the C’s need some big man depth, it’ll be worth monitoring to see what they do with Bassey going forward.
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