Ryan Nembhard and Graham Ike found themselves on opposite sides of the floor Wednesday in Las Vegas, and both former Gonzaga standouts made their presence felt in the opening day of NBA Summer League.
Nembhard came away with the better stat line, posting 15 points and 11 assists in Dallas’ 101-90 loss to Golden State at the Thomas & Mack Center. Ike was right behind him in the box score with nine points and nine rebounds, a near double-double that included plenty of activity on both ends.
The two former Bulldogs crossed paths often enough to leave an imprint on the game. They brushed shoulders during play, matched up at times on switches and later shared a quick embrace in the handshake line after Ike’s Warriors beat Nembhard’s Mavericks.
One of the biggest moments between them came in the first half, when Ike looked to have a clean path to the rim after taking a bounce pass from Golden State teammate Yaxel Lendeborg. Nembhard slid over, got a hand on the ball and forced a turnover before pushing the other way in transition.
Nembhard shot 6 of 15 from the field and 1 of 6 from 3-point range, while also adding three rebounds and a steal. He turned it over just twice and handled the ball well for Dallas, which asked a lot of him after a short turnaround.
The 23-year-old point guard had only two days off after playing 19 minutes for Canada in a 116-78 FIBA World Cup qualifying win over Jamaica in Hamilton, Ontario, where he was on the floor with his older brother Andrew. Nembhard then went through just one practice with Dallas before logging 35 minutes in the Summer League opener.
“They definitely wanted me to come down here and play, play some games,” Nembhard said. “It was good.
Team Canada was a great experience to be with those guys and be around those guys. A great learning experience for me.
Then just coming here, I met the guys yesterday. Trying to get acclimated to what we’re doing, but it was a good first game.”
Ike started quickly for Golden State, scoring on putbacks and finishing a floater in the opening four minutes. He ended up 3 of 9 from the field and 2 of 2 at the free throw line, and he also had three assists.
His night also came with a strange statistical wrinkle: eight fouls, which left him two short of Summer League’s foul-out threshold.
The former Gonzaga forward has now started all three of his games between the California Classic and Vegas Summer League, making an immediate impact with his scoring inside, rebounding and defensive activity. After going undrafted, Ike signed an Exhibit 10 contract with the Warriors.
The game drew a few familiar faces to courtside seats. Andrew Nembhard was there watching his younger brother, while Dallas forward Cooper Flagg, who played with Ryan Nembhard at Summer League last year, was also in attendance. Newly hired Mavericks coach Dusty May watched as well.
May also got a look at two players from his national championship team going head to head, with Golden State’s Yaxel Lendeborg and Dallas’ Morez Johnson sharing the floor. Johnson led all scorers with 27 points, while Lendeborg finished with 21 points and 10 rebounds.
Elsewhere on Thursday, former Washington State forward Isaac Jones turned in another strong Summer League showing for Detroit. Jones scored a game-high 22 points and grabbed four rebounds in the Pistons’ 101-93 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers, going 9 of 15 from the field and 2 of 4 from 3-point range in 30 minutes.
Jones had spent the previous two summers in Sacramento’s Summer League rotation before being waived by the Kings in November. Detroit claimed him off waivers and later signed him to a two-way contract.
Former Gonzaga wing Tyon Grant-Foster also made his Summer League debut, playing four minutes for San Antonio in a 93-66 loss to Atlanta. He made his only shot and finished with one rebound.
In Other News...
Ryan Nembhard's First Gonzaga Summer League Showdown Brought Real Stakes
Ryan Nembhards first Gonzaga summer league matchup against a former teammate came with a little more edge than the usual July exhibition. Nembhard and Anton Watson found themselves on opposite sides in Las Vegas, with Watsons Los Angeles Lakers beating Nembhards Dallas Mavericks 91-70 after pulling away in the third quarter. Nembhard still gave Dallas a lift, finishing as the teams leading scorer with 12 points and five assists, while Watsons impact showed up more on the defensive end than the box score.
Watson did not score, but he was active in 13 minutes and helped make life difficult for Dallas possessions. For Gonzaga fans, it was the kind of summer league snapshot that feels bigger than the result itself, a reminder of how quickly former Zags can end up sharing the floor in NBA settings where every possession carries a little extra familiarity. Elsewhere, Efe Abogidi also made his summer league debut for Denver and chipped in 10 points in a win over Minnesota. [Read more 🡒]