Alex Karaban finally had the kind of night that looked a lot closer to the player UConn fans know.
After opening his NBA Summer League run with scoring lines of zero, three and four points, Karaban broke through Wednesday night for the Sacramento Kings. The former Huskies standout led the team with 21 points and added eight rebounds in an 82-76 loss to the Boston Celtics.
Karaban needed just 26 minutes to put together the best performance of his summer, shooting 7-for-15 overall and drilling five of seven from beyond the arc. The 3-point shot was the difference-maker, and it gave him a chance to show the kind of offensive rhythm that had been missing through his first three games.
“It felt great. I knew I had to step up some more with a couple of our key pieces out tonight, but I’ve been getting more comfortable game to game now and I feel extremely comfortable out there now,” Karaban told reporters after the game.
He also pointed to the adjustment that comes with making the jump from college to this level.
“I’ve got to let it fly, and that’s something the coaches have been telling me too. I think it’s been an adjustment for me too, just with the pace of the game, the athleticism.
It’s a different game compared to college. It took some time to get used to it, but I’m more comfortable with it now.”
The Kings still have one more guaranteed game in Summer League. They’ll face former UConn star Liam McNeeley and the Hornets in the consolation bracket opener on Friday at 6:30 p.m. on Prime Video.
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