Isaiah Joe stays hot as Sixers drop first game in Vegas

The Summer Sixers produced perhaps the worst first and fourth quarters in NBA Summer League history, suffering a 97-77 loss to the Raptors in Vegas.

The Sixers committed eight of their 25 turnovers in the opening stanza. An insane run for Isaiah Joe gave the Sixers a lead, but a big fourth-quarter run by Toronto did them in.

Here’s a look at how a few notable players on the roster performed.

Isaiah Joe: 24 points (7 of 9 from three), 4 assists, 2 steals, 1 block

Joe picked up where he left off after making a game-winning three to close out the Utah Summer League. He hit a three, made a great defensive play after being switched onto seven-footer Christian Koloko and then drew a foul on Koloko by fighting through a screen. In the second quarter, Joe showed off a little ball-handling ability, pushing the ball and finding teammates for easy buckets. He had four first-half assists.

Then Joe went nuts in the third quarter, scoring 15 points and seemingly making everything. At one point, he went on a personal 9-0 run. He continued to look good on the defensive end as well, moving his feet and beating ball-handlers to the spot.

As mentioned in this space, this feels like a big summer for Joe. The last couple games have been very encouraging. But will Doc Rivers give Joe a legitimate look as a 3-and-D wing? The third-year player seems to have the backing of the team’s main executive.

Jaden Springer: 9 points, 2 assists, 1 block, 1 rebound

I’m really trying to get a grasp on Springer, but he’s just been so up and down. We’ve seen flashes with his ability to use his speed and athleticism to get to the rim. He also keeps drawing free throws (2 of 4). He made his first summer league three, but the shot is the biggest question mark. There seems to be a bit of hesitancy with his open looks, but to his credit, he keeps taking them.

Charles Bassey: 9 points, 6 rebounds, 1 block, 6 fouls

Bassey had a tough first half, committing four fouls and not really making much of an impact on either end. He came alive a bit in the second half as the Sixers as a team played with more energy defensively. It’s been an OK summer for Bassey.

Trevelin Queen: 9 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 6 turnovers

Queen was impressive in his Sixers debut but struggled the last game in Utah. It was a shaky start for him in Vegas, but the one thing that has stood out through three games is his playmaking chops. Queen looks like he could play legitimate point guard minutes. This dime to Bassey was a beaut.

It was another high turnover game for Queen (6), but some of that can be attributed to playing with new teammates on a new team in a new system. He makes excellent reads and nifty passes. Still, that number needs to be cut down if he’s looking to lock down a roster spot.

Other notes:

• Still not sold on Julian Champagnie as the Sixers’ second two-way deal. He finally made a summer league three but was 1 of 5 from distance overall. Depending on how things go with Queen on his non-guaranteed deal, he’d slot in there nicely.
• Michael Foster Jr. (five rebounds in 11 minutes) is a guy that continues to flash in limited action.

• 2021 second-round pick Filip Petrusev made his summer league debut this year. Petrusev was billed as an offensive big, but that hasn’t really translated. His defense and rebounding have actually stood out the last two summer leagues.
• Michigan State product Cassius Winston, the only true point guard on the roster, had nine points and seven assists but also had six turnovers.