Latest news with #Spurs
USA Today
7 hours ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Former UNC basketball star records double-double in NBA Summer League action
The NBA Summer League featured a UNC highlight reel during Monday action. Huge game from Harrison 😤 When you look back at the 2023-2024 UNC basketball season, who's the most impactful player that comes to your mind from that team? Is it Armando Bacot? RJ Davis? Cormac Ryan? What about Harrison Ingram? A 6'7" junior forward who could play anywhere on the floor, Ingram brought a rare versatility to Chapel Hill that college basketball programs are lucky to find. Ingram averaged 11.2 points, 7.2 rebounds, 2.9 assists and one steal per game during his lone season at North Carolina, earning Third Team All-ACC Honors. Just three months after the Tar Heels' once-promising year fell flat against Alabama in the Sweet 16, Ingram heard his name called in the 2024 NBA Draft. Ingram played five games with the San Antonio Spurs last season, but spent most of his time with the G League's Austin Spurs. Now playing Summer League basketball in Las Vegas, Ingram is trying to convince San Antonio for an NBA call-up. If Ingram's recent success is any indicator of making the Spurs' NBA roster, he's on the right track. Ingram recorded a 15-point, 14-rebound double-double during San Antonio's 93-91 win over the Utah Jazz on Monday. Ingram will get a chance to build on Monday's strong performance this Thursday, July 17 at 7 p.m. against the Charlotte Hornets. With the Spurs currently 3-0, Ingram has a strong chance to compete for an NBA Summer League Championship. There's another former Tar Heel currently on San Antonio's roster: Harrison Barnes. The Spurs have a very young team, headlined by Victor Wembanyama, giving Ingram a great pathway to earn minutes. Follow us @TarHeelsWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of North Carolina Tar Heels news, notes and opinions.
USA Today
12 hours ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Spurs' Dylan Harper opens up about playing in NBA Summer League
After sustaining a groin injury, No. 2 overall pick Dylan Harper has enjoyed suiting up with the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas, Nevada. Harper missed the Spurs' stint in the California Classic and their first game in the desert due to a minor issue, as described by the team. He debuted on Saturday, producing 16 points and six rebounds in a win over Cooper Flagg and the Dallas Mavericks. The 6-foot-6 guard scored another 16 points, two rebounds and two assists on Monday in a win over the Utah Jazz, who were without No. 5 pick Ace Bailey (hip). It was his second game at the Thomas & Mack Center, the larger of the two arenas used for the event. "The atmosphere is crazy," Harper said. "I think when I was here (as a fan), and just when you're watching it from afar, and then when you're on the court, you can hear the crowd is into it, no matter what game it is. It is just unbelievable, so just probably the crowd, energy, and, honestly, how competitive it is." Harper was regarded as one of the top lead guards in the draft as a bigger player who can score, play with physicality and see the court well. He has showcased each of those elements through his first two appearances and has shown no lingering effects from his injury. Those two games have served as the first competitive action for Harper since the end of last season at Rutgers. He has been inefficient, shooting just 35.7% from the field, but the team doesn't appear to be too worried about those struggles. "The first game, you get your nerves out," Spurs summer league coach Mike Noyes said. "Second game, you're trying to flow into it. It is hard, the position he is in. He hasn't played in months, and the expectations are high. The expectations shouldn't be high. He is right where he needs to be, so if he focuses on defense (and) makes the right play for the team, his conditioning will be way better once the season comes around." After beginning 3-0 in their stint in Las Vegas, the Spurs will play at least two more contests. The team could have the opportunity to play in the summer league playoffs, with the top four teams qualifying for the semifinals, and play a sixth game if they make the final. The group will play next on Thursday against the Charlotte Hornets (7 p.m. EDT, ESPN). After missing four games due to injury, it seems as though Harper may play the rest of their schedule in the desert, which the 19-year-old is prepared for. "We're ready for every game," Harper said. "I think this right here showed that we don't quit when we get down or when hard times happen, we just keep pushing, moving forward. For us and the group, seeing this win and seeing it through is great for us."
New York Times
14 hours ago
- Sport
- New York Times
Victor Wembanyama cleared to return to Spurs after blood clot: Reports
San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama said he is 'officially cleared to return' from the deep vein thrombosis in his right shoulder that cut his 2024-25 season short, he told French newspaper L'Équipe. Wembanyama, 21, said San Antonio's medical staff told him Friday he had the green light to return to basketball, which would mark just over five months since the team discovered the blood clot upon his return from All-Star weekend. The finding stunted his sophomore season at 46 games and curtailed a historically rare season; he was the first player to record averages of 24.3 points, 11.0 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 3.8 blocks and 3.1 3-pointers made per game before the injury. Advertisement Team sources were unwilling to confirm, but news of his return was also reported by ESPN. San Antonio went 21-25 in the games Wembanyama played and 13-23 in its games without him last season. The team landed the No. 2 pick in the NBA Draft lottery and selected guard Dylan Harper, who is expected to join reigning rookies of the year Stephon Castle and Wembanyama to give the Spurs a young trio that could compete in the playoffs. Wembanyama has had a full offseason despite the injury, including a trip to the Shaolin Temple in Dengfeng, China, to train with monks for two weeks. The Spurs have also had a transformative offseason, as longtime legendary coach Gregg Popovich stepped down in May to move to a front-office role after he suffered a stroke in November that forced him away from the sidelines. Wembanyama and multiple other NBA stars have dealt with blood clots in recent seasons. Then-Milwaukee Bucks star Damian Lillard was temporarily shut down in March after doctors found a DVT in his calf, the Detroit Pistons' Ausar Thompson missed time from March to November 2024 with a blood clot, and Miami Heat star Chris Bosh was forced to retire in 2016 due to the recurrence of a clot, which constituted a career-ending illness. The Spurs center told L'Equipe he is 'right on schedule' with the recovery plan and that the DVT is 'officially behind me.' He said he has not played five-on-five action for five months and has to ramp up his training to be game-ready. The 21-year-old will not suit up for the French national team when EuroBasket 2025 starts on Aug. 27, joining Rudy Gobert and Evan Fournier as roster exclusions due to health and recovery reasons. Team France will be highlighted by the top two picks from last year's draft, Atlanta Hawks wing Zaccharie Risacher and Washington Wizards big Alex Sarr, as well as Wizards wing Bilal Coulibaly and New York Knicks big Guerschon Yabusele. Wembanayama will likely still be in the ramp-up phase of his recovery program when the tournament begins, so his priority will be preparing for the grind of a full NBA season as an emerging superstar. Advertisement His minutes per game increased from 29.7 as a rookie to 33.2 as a sophomore last season, with another increase possibly on the way. He will likely take on even more offensive responsibility as his skill set improves, meaning his offseason training program will be crucial to setting the stage for a sustainably healthy and productive season. The Spurs' offense will further evolve this year now that former All-Star point guard De'Aaron Fox will take the reins at the point from Chris Paul, who often had the Spurs playing a slower pace in the half-court. Wembanayama plans to be ready for a full return by the start of training camp in late September, his first alongside Fox. The pair only played five games together after the Spurs acquired Fox at the trade deadline. San Antonio finished 34-48 after Wembanyama was ruled out, but showed early signs of promise with a 17-16 run heading into the new year. With Castle entering his second season, Harper coming to town and former Boston Celtics center Luke Kornet providing center depth to help manage Wembanyama's load throughout the season, San Antonio has a chance to take another big step forward this season.
NBC Sports
16 hours ago
- Sport
- NBC Sports
NBA Summer League Day 5: Johnny Furphy's legendary dunk, Kyle Filipowski, Jazz put on a show
We're into the second phase of Summer League, with a lot of the stars done, but not all. And those stars showed out on Monday. Johnny Furphy's legendary dunk This whole game was fun. The Bulls and the Pacers combined for the most entertaining game of the Summer League so far. However, it was the Pacers' Johnny Furphy who stole the show with a legendary dunk. JOHNNY FURPHY MY GOODNESS 🤯🤯 Poor Noa Essengue is about to be a meme. 😵 To be fair, Essengue scored 21 points, while Matas Buzelis showed why he is too good to still be playing in Summer League, scoring 28 points. It wasn't just those buckets; it was that the Bulls were getting theirs with flair in an up-and-down, fast-paced game. —Kurt Helin SHOWTIME FROM YUKI & THE BULLS 🔥 CHI leads in the 4th... #NBA2KSummerLeague on ESPNU Spurs and Jazz put on a show The matchup between the Spurs and Jazz ended up being one of the best games of Summer League so far. Kyle Filipowski dominated early and often, knocking down three triples in the first four minutes of the game and finishing with 35 points, 11 rebounds and five three-pointers. He had a layup to give Utah a late lead before Dylan Harper tied it up to force overtime, and Filipowski also had a dunk with two seconds left in overtime to tie the game before Riley Minix nailed the game-winning shot at the buzzer. RILEY MINIX BUZZER BEATER FOR THE WIN 🚨 Spurs win a THRILLER in Vegas! Filipowski has been fantastic through Summer League in both Utah and Las Vegas, and it wouldn't be shocking if they opted to shut him down for the remainder of the summer. With John Collins now in Los Angeles, Filipowski should be a key contributor for the Jazz this season. Kyle Filipowski keeps his #NBA2KSummerLeague hot streak going 🔥 Jazz/Spurs is underway on NBA TV! John Tonje made his Summer League debut for Utah and finished with 16 points and four three-pointers. The 24-year-old rookie shined at Wisconsin last season and could be an NBA-ready scoring option for the Jazz this year, though the amount of depth Utah has will make it difficult for him to earn minutes. Carter Bryant continued to play high-level defense, and Dylan Harper was solid despite not being quite as good as he was against Dallas, but David Jones-Garcia was the star once again. He dropped 28 points in the win, which was his fifth-straight game scoring at least 20 points this summer. The only time he didn't reach 20, he finished with 18 points. Jones-Garcia has certainly played his way into at least a two-way contract, especially if he keeps this up. —Noah Rubin DAVID JONES BREAKING ANKLES IN SL!!! Other notes from Summer League • Kel'el Ware responds after Spoelstra's criticism. In his first game at the Las Vegas Summer League, Miami's promising young big man Kel'el Ware was uninspiring, scoring 10 points with six boards and kind of coasting through the game (it's a concerning sign when a guy who got so much run as a rookie does not dominate in Summer League). The next day, Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra showed up at Summer League practice and had some pointed words for Ware: 'A big part of this is he has to really embrace and improve his professionalism, his consistency, his approach every single day. He has to get better with that. It's learning how to become a pro. I understand it. He was 20 last year, and he's 21. We have bigger expectations... 'The professionalism and consistency has to improve, and it is. Our standards are not going to change, and our expectations and how fast we want that to improve for him are not going to change. But he has to get better at it, he has to take ownership of it, and the other stuff will come along with that.' Ware got the message. He was much more intense and focused against the Cavaliers on Sunday, scoring 21 points on 8-of-14 shots, including 2-of-3 from beyond the arc. On Sunday, Ware had another strong game with 21 points and 15 boards against Boston. —Helin Blocks, dunks, triples, lobs, intensity, you name it… Kel'el was showing it all tonight • Kon Knueppel looks better. Kon Knueppel struggled in his Summer League debut on Friday and then sat out on Saturday. However, he was finally able to get things going against the Mavericks. He made an impact in a variety of ways, finishing with 16 points, 10 rebounds, four assists and three three-pointers. He was solid on defense, created shots for his teammates and had a double-double after not recording one during his lone season at Duke. Oh yeah, and he can shoot too. —Rubin catch & shoot kon 😮💨 #NBASummer • Așa Newell's 3-point shot. Asa Newell hit four three-pointers on Sunday, which was an encouraging sign for his development. Deep-range shooting will be a huge swing skill for his future in the NBA. On Monday, he only hit one, but it was clear the defense respected his shot. Early in the first quarter, he got his defender to jump on a pump fake, which set up a strong drive to the basket and a pair of free throws. Newell doesn't need to be an elite stretch big for the Hawks; they have Kristaps Porzingis for that. However, if he can at least space the floor enough for the defense to respect his shot, Trae Young and Jalen Johnson won't have any issues getting to the rim when Newell is in the game. Newell's lone shot from deep came late in the game to tie things up at 99, and he followed that up with a Euro step layup in transition to give Atlanta the lead. He finished with 14 points and six rebounds in the overtime victory. —Rubin Asa Newell slow step in transition • The highs and lows of Kobe Bufkin. Sure, there were plenty of mistakes, especially early, but Kobe Bufkin still had some positive aspects to his performance. He scored a game-high 25 points, including five of Atlanta's seven in overtime. However, he turned it over nine times and committed seven fouls. Yikes. Not what you want to see out of a first-round pick entering his third season. Bufkin would probably benefit from some extra games this summer. —Rubin • Kennedy Chandler looking good. Kennedy Chandler continued to shine for the Rockets. He finished with 22 points, seven assists, and three steals and is now averaging 19 points, 4.3 assists, and 2.0 steals per game this summer. He had the ball in his hands a little extra with Reed Sheppard shut down for the rest of Summer League. Whether or not it's with Houston, Chandler has made a case to earn a two-way contract next season. —Rubin Aggressive drive from Kennedy Chandler for the and-1 😤 Hawks vs Rockets #NBA2KSummerLeague play is on NBA TV!
Daily Mirror
19 hours ago
- Politics
- Daily Mirror
Freed British hostage Emily Damari's delight as Hamas gunman who snatched her is killed
Israel says it has killed Muhammad Nasr Ali Quneita, the Hamas gunman who snatched British hostage Emily Damari from her kibbutz in the attacks on October 7 2023 Freed British hostage Emily Damari today spoke of her delight at the announcement that the Hamas gunman who kidnapped her has been killed by Israel. Emily was snatched on October 7th 2023 from her kibbutz by Muhammad Nasr Ali Quneita. Now Israel has revealed that Quneita has been killed in a targeted operation inside Gaza. In a post on her Instagram account, Damari welcomed the news and stated: "One of many. Yes, there should be many more good news like this and we will hold them accountable for it all, God willing..." Emily, 28, reiterated her call for her fellow hostages still being held inside Gaza to be freed, adding: "But the real victory will be when Gali, Ziv and the other 48 hostages return." She described in detail that fateful day Quneita took her. She said: "I remember his face that day when he transferred me to the tunnels deep beneath the ground. Where there's no air, no light, and no will to live. Above us, we could hear planes, bombs, and an entire war unfolding. Then he looked at me with the smile of a deceiver and told me 'That's it, tomorrow you're going home.'" "And no, he didn't say that because it was true. He said it so I would start to have hope. So I would wait and wait, and nothing would happen. I looked at him and told him he was a liar (and if you knew what it's like to tell a terrorist the word liar...). He looked at me angrily and asked, 'Me? A liar? Why do you think that?' And I said to him, 'Because I hear the planes. There's no ceasefire and no deal close.' And sadly, between the two of us, I was right." Emily was one of 251 hostages captured by Hamas when they attacked settlements in Israel killing 1,200 people. She was shot in the hand as she was dragged from her kibbutz home. Emily, who lost two fingers after being shot, was held hostage by Hamas for 471 days until her release. Her mum Mandy, 63, is from Beckenham, South East London. The Mirror revealed how they returned to London after her release to watch her beloved Spurs play and Emily was able to meet stars like Ledley King, Gary Mabbutt and Ossie Ardiles. In earlier interviews Emily revealed how she had risked immediate death when she got into a fight with one of her other captors underground. One of them grabbed a fellow hostage and she feared that young woman was about to be raped. Emily says she fought the attacker, not caring if they killed her on the spot. She said: "Would I have got a bullet? Fine, then I'll die and won't be in captivity, thank you very much. Sucks for my family, for my friends, but I'll be out of this nightmare.' She heard nicknames being used for her among her kidnappers - Mowgli, Tarzan and 'The Brave One'. The Israeli military said Quneita was killed on June 19th inside Gaza City.
