On Thursday, the Los Angeles Lakers lost 88-80 in tournament play of the 2016 NBA Summer League. The defeat ends LA's hope of winning the competition, but the team will play one final game on Friday night at 7:30 p.m. Pacific Time.
Though the competition may be lost, LA could still end its Summer League with a 4-1 record, provided LA can beat the Utah Jazz on Friday.
Lakers now say preliminary results from Nance's X-rays show a fracture to base of 3rd metacarpal right hand. — Brad Turner (@BA_Turner) July 15, 2016
The biggest loss on Thursday night, though, came in the form of Larry Nance Jr.'s suspected fractured wrist. The play occurred late in the contest, long after the final outcome had been decided. With 35.7 seconds and the Lakers down seven points, Nance crashed hard to the ground on what was deemed to be an offensive foul.
Prior to that point, Nance had 12 points, 10 rebounds, two assists, two steals and a block in a typical double-double performance from the athletic forward. However, his high-flying style of play can lead to hard falls and seemingly, a broken wrist.
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Per usual, D'Angelo Russell led the Lakers with 19 points, five rebounds, four assists and three turnovers. No. 2 pick Brandon Ingram finished with 13 points and was one of six Lakers to score in double digits.
Cleveland, though, only featured two double-digits scorers, and that's all the team needed. Jordan McRae finished with 36 points and nine rebounds, while Kay Felder added 20 points and three of the team's five assists. It bears repeating that the Cavs only had five assists as a team and won the game.
McRae, in particular, led a second-half comeback that erased a 16-point halftime advantage for the Lakers. Led by their backcourt, the Cavs outscored the Lakers 52-28 in the second half to win the game by eight points.
The Cavs moved on to play in the semifinals on Saturday. Every team is guaranteed at least five games at NBA Summer League, so the Lakers will conclude its Summer League against the Jazz on Friday night at 7:30 p.m.
