Seth Lundy put the finishing touch on a wild one in Las Vegas.
With two seconds left, Lundy rejected Rienk Mast’s potential game-winning shot and the Toronto Raptors escaped with a 94-93 win over the Indiana Pacers in NBA summer league action Monday at Thomas & Mack Center.
Lundy was the headline piece for Toronto on both ends. He scored 22 points on 8-of-13 shooting and then came through with the decisive defensive stop.
Jaden Bradley helped set up the finish, first tying the game at 93 with two free throws at the 1:32 mark and then nudging Toronto ahead for good with one of two foul shots after being sent back to the line. Bradley, a second-round draft pick, finished with 15 points and five rebounds.
Toronto also got a strong all-around effort from first-round selection Allen Graves, who posted 13 points, six assists, five rebounds and four steals. Tyreke Key added 16 points off the bench.
Indiana had plenty of firepower of its own. Mast led all scorers with 23 points and collected a game-high 10 rebounds.
Jalen Slawson turned in 21 points, eight rebounds and two blocks, while Gabe McGlothan chipped in 16 points off the bench. Second-round pick Braden Smith didn’t score, but he still ran the show with a game-high nine assists.
The Raptors looked in control early, racing out to an 18-point lead in the first half. Indiana answered with a strong push and wiped out the deficit completely, leaving the teams deadlocked at 45 at the break.
The final minutes delivered the kind of back-and-forth finish summer league is built for. Lundy buried a three-pointer to trim Indiana’s edge to 93-91 with 1:50 remaining, Bradley answered at the stripe, and Toronto survived a turnover with 12.5 seconds left before Lundy slammed the door on Mast’s hook shot.
In Other News...
Allen Graves Might Be Testing A Raptors Theory Fans Stopped Believing
Allen Graves has given the Raptors a little reason to revisit an old idea they have not always been able to cash in on: the big man who can stretch the floor enough to make everything else fit. Drafted by Toronto, Graves has looked encouraging in Summer League, where his 3-point stroke has been one of the cleaner parts of his early case for a real role. For a team that has spent plenty of time trying to build around defensive versatility, that kind of shooting from a frontcourt player can change the conversation fast.
Toronto may not have the luxury of treating it like a long-term project, either. Injuries and a possible suspension are already creating an opening in the regular-season rotation, which means Graves could get a chance sooner than expected to show whether the summer shooting is real enough to matter. The bigger question is not just whether he can hit enough shots, but whether he can do it in a way that lets the Raptors use him in the kind of lineups they have talked themselves into before and not always trusted on the floor. [Read more 🡒]
Gary Trent Jr. Reunion Buzz Just Got Real For Raptors Fans
Gary Trent Jr. is already back in the conversation north of the border, and not just because of the familiar fit his shooting once provided in Toronto. After landing a four-year, $64 million deal with Milwaukee, Trent has become part of a fresh round of Raptors chatter as the front office continues to look for ways to reshape the roster and manage its books. For a team still sorting out its next step, any player with his track record and connection to the market is going to draw attention.
Jakob Poeltl sits at the center of that larger picture, since Toronto has been exploring ways to move off his contract and create more flexibility. The idea of Trent as a possible target has plenty of appeal for fans who remember what he can bring, especially if the Bucks decide to keep listening on veterans while they sort through their own direction. For now, it remains speculative, but it is the kind of rumor that feels rooted enough in the Raptors roster needs to linger. [Read more 🡒]