The speculation and drama that surrounded the free agent class of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, Dirk Nowitzki, Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, Carlos Boozer, Rudy Gay, and co. slowly and slowly gained steam for years before culminating in an eight-day media frenzy from July 1-8.

This year, Carmelo Anthony appears to be headed down the same path.

Considered the cream of the 2011 NBA Free Agency crop, Anthony is still debating whether to sign a three-year, $65 million extension with the Denver Nuggets or allow himself to become an unrestricted free agent next summer.

The Nuggets have had this offer on the table for a majority of the summer, and as the season rapidly approaches it seems unlikely that Anthony would re-sign. However, it could be the best deal he will find, even as an unrestricted free agent—the new collective bargaining agreement going into effect at the end of next season is expected to reduce the length and overall salary of current player contracts.

Anthony has always expressed loyalty to Denver, but some of his comments suggest that he is keeping his options open.

“I could wake up tomorrow and they could snatch it off the table,” Anthony said, referring to Denver’s extension offer. “I don’t know. I don’t know what their mind-set is.”

It would seem that building around ‘Melo would be Denver’s top priority. They have assets (most notably a few expiring contracts) to turn into future draft picks or maybe a few other complementary pieces…but it all revolves around Anthony’s decision.

Kenyon Martin’s $16.5 million deal and J.R. Smith’s $6.0 million contract both expire this year, and Chauncey Billups has a $14.2 million team option for 2011-12. If Anthony re-signs, the Nuggets could turn these pieces into younger, youthful players that can suit an up-and-down style built around him.

If he doesn’t, Denver can turn these expiring deals into draft picks and young talent that they can further evaluate.

So let’s say ‘Melo decides to turn down the extension and Denver wants to ship him out so they get something in return. What are his trade options? Let’s take a look at a few teams that would suit Anthony’s talents well (in alphabetical order):

Chicago Bulls

A seemingly perfect fit. Chicago has one of the best young point guards in the league (Derrick Rose), a sharpshooter on the perimeter (Kyle Korver), and two active, intelligent pick-and-roll players that rebound better than any tandem in the league (Carlos Boozer, Joakim Noah).

The only thing missing? An elite scorer at the forward.

‘Melo more than fills that gap, but a few questions arise as well. Such as, would Derrick Rose be as effective when Anthony primarily has to have the ball in his hands a lot to be a premier scorer? Would Noah’s talents be somewhat diminished considering that he excels in the pick-and-roll and attacking the offensive glass, but the half-court offense would be more isolation plays drawn up for Carmelo?

The main deal breaker in this case is the fact that the Bulls simply don’t have much to offer the Nuggets. They would want to build a potential trade around Luol Deng, who is making $11.3 million this year and is due $51.3 million over the next four years.

If you’re re-building a team, you don’t want to pay mediocre players massive amounts of money for a ludicrous amount of time. So unless the Bulls would be willing to throw in someone like Joakim Noah (and they wouldn’t), ‘Melo-to-Chicago isn’t very likely to happen via trade.

Dallas Mavericks

There have been no indications that the Mavs have any interest in Carmelo or that the Nuggets would be willing to cooperate a deal that would send him to Dallas…but don’t put anything past Mark Cuban.

The Mavs actually have a decent amount of expiring contracts and young talent to make something happen. But there is a log jam at the forward spot, with Dirk Nowitzki and Shawn Marion already locked in through 2013-14.

But what if Cuban offered something like Caron Butler ($10.5 million this year, last year of his current deal), Tyson Chandler ($12.6 million expiring), DeShawn Stevenson ($4.1 million expiring, would be bought out immediately), Roddy Beabuois, Matt Carroll’s $4.3 million trade exception, a 2011 first-round pick, and Minnesota’s 2012 second-round pick for Carmelo and Kenyon Martin’s expiring deal? The Nuggets get cap relief, a solid piece in Caron Butler, a few draft picks, and a potential goldmine with Beaubois.

The Mavs, on the other hand, would trot out a lineup of Jason Kidd-Jason Terry-Carmelo-Dirk-Brendan Haywood, with Shawn Marion, Kenyon Martin, J.J. Berea, and Dominique Jones coming off the bench.

This deal would weigh heavily on whether the Mavs want to make one more push with the Kidd-Terry-Nowitzki nucleus or if they want to hang on to Beaubois and their draft picks to keep themselves relevant into the mid 2010s. This would be a short-term deal…but one that could make Dallas significant players in the West.

Houston Rockets

According to reports, ‘Melo would consider signing long-term deals if traded to one of three teams: the Knicks, the Nets…and the Rockets.

Kind of a head-scratcher, mainly because few people would have ever tied in “Carmelo Anthony” and “Houston” in the same sentence. But on paper, it makes sense.

Houston GM Daryl Morey has always stockpiled young talent in case a move like this could be made. There are many different directions this deal could go.

Maybe Yao Ming, Patrick Patterson, New York’s 2012 first-round pick, and a 2014 first-rounder for Melo.

Or maybe Jordan Hill instead of Patrick Patterson. Or maybe the Nuggets throw in J.R. Smith and the Rockets add Courtney Lee, Jermaine Taylor, and Jared Jeffries.

Realistically, this seems to be the most plausible deal for Denver. While the Nuggets almost certainly wouldn’t get fair value in return for Anthony, Houston could get closer than any other team.

New Jersey Nets

The Nets are the best 12-win team in NBA history, and during the offseason they added pieces like Troy Murphy, Travis Outlaw, Derrick Favors, Anthony Morrow, Jordan Farmar, and Damion James. Under the guidance of new owner Mikhail Prokhorov, they seem like they’re on the path to relevance once again.

Adding someone like ‘Melo wouldn’t just increase their chances of becoming one of the East’s top teams—it would arguably give N.J. their biggest name since the days of Dr. J.

The Nets own Golden State’s 2011 second round pick and in 20102, they have the Warriors first-round pick, Chicago’s second-round pick, and Miami’s second-round selection. All of these pieces could be used as trade bait.

The only thing complicating a deal is the fact that only one Net makes more than $10 million annually (the recently acquired Troy Murphy, who is due $11.9 million this year). So the Nets would have to give up a significant chunk of their recently acquired young talent.

New York Knicks

The most likely destination.

ESPN’s Chris Broussard tweeted last week that there is “no doubt” that Melo wants to be a Knick. And after the James-Wade-Bosh reunion that has conspiracy theorists suggesting that they had this planned for years,  you can’t ignore the possibility that Chris Paul-‘Melo-Amar’e Stoudemire are hatching something similar in New York.

Any deal with New York would have to center around Eddy Curry, who is in the last year of his deal and making $11.2 million. Basically, he’s a buyout waiting to happen.

After that, it would center around which piece the Knicks want to give up: Danilo Gallinari or Anthony Randolph.

Every Knicks fan loves Gallinari and doesn’t want to see him go anywhere. And if they somehow hung on to him, New York would be absolutely loaded at the 3/4 spot: a dynamic scorer in Anthony, a dead-eye shooter in Gallinari, and a pick-and-roll force with Stoudemire.

Randolph, on the other hand, has an extremely raw offensive game but was born to play in a system like New York’s. He thrived at times playing in a much similar atmosphere in Golden State, but injuries and inconsistent minutes hindered his development. Nonetheless, he’s a terrific rebounder and shot-blocker and complements Stoudemire’s offensive-oriented game perfectly.

Another potential pitfall is the fact that the Knicks could have to swap next year’s first-round pick with Houston (as long as it’s not the No. 1 overall pick), and they owe their 2012 first-rounder to Houston as well. Next year’s second-round pick goes to the Lakers and 2012’s second-rounder is property of Phoenix. So they won’t have any picks to offer until 2013 or 2014.

Still, even though Houston seems like it could offer the most in return for Anthony, the Knicks look to be the front-runners. And it seems to be more of a question of “when” than “if.”

Just two seasons removed from a career-best 19.8 points per game season, Hedo Turkoglu made a splan in the 2009 NBA off-season by signing a fat contract with Toronto Raptors, and leaving the Orlando Magic.

Regardless of whether or not it was because he wanted big money or because Orlando didn’t want him (they traded for Vince Carter before the deal was official), Turkogly wound up being inserted into a lineup where he arguably should have never been.

Turkoglu excelled with the ball in his hands in Orlando, especially at the end of games, and displayed clutch ability in his final season, one that saw him and his teammates facing the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2008-09 NBA Finals.

Turkoglu shined in his final two seasons in Orlando, sharing the ball-handling and “creating” opportunities with shoot-first point guard Jameer Nelson. His role in Toronto shifted severely, however, as he played second fiddle to star power forward Chris Bosh, was less involved in the offense than Andrea Bargnani, and didn’t have his hands on the ball nearly as much in the past, due to pass-first point guard Jose Calderon’s role in the offense.

Okay, so now that we’ve got that out of the way, how can we possibly expect Turkoglu to perform at a high level in Phoenix, where one of the league’s best point guards, Steve Nash, is handling the ball nearly every trip down the court?

Simply put: the system will give Turkoglu back the swagger he lost in Toronto.

Beyond not handling the ball as much as he could (or should), Turkoglu also butted heads with the coaching staff and team management, once or twice even having negative things to say about the Raptors’ ownership.

In Phoenix, he’s inserted back into a run’n gun offense, where shooting three’s is option number one, and creating for others is option number two.

A career 38% three-point shooter, we have a pretty good feeling that Turkoglu will do just fine in that department, and it can be expected that with Nash dishing passes and other solid options taking attention away, Turkoglu will easily top the piddly nine shooting attempts he got per game in Toronto last season.

There is even talk that Phoenix could go small and play Turkoglu at the power forward position in some lineups, although he could easily play guard or forward, as well as the point-forward position in the Suns’ offense.

Needless to say, his skills and creating ability make Turkoglu a potential comeback player of the year candidate, and a possible fantasy basketball sleeper for the 2010-11 season.

With the loss of Leandro Barbosa and Ama’re Stoudemire, the Suns will be asking Turkogly to step up and revert to his form of the 2007 and 2008 seasons, and judging on his history and skill-set, we deem that as extremely possible, if not even likely.

2010-11 Stat Projections: 15.5 PPG, 4.5 APG, 5.5 RPG, 40 3PT %

For all the trade details, visit nbawatercooler.com.

For the fantasy impact for all participants in this trade, read on:

Darren Collison, PG, Indiana Pacers

Collison showed consistency and the ability to command an offense effectively when Chris Paul was out due to injury last year. Anyone who caught a glimpse of his skills and confidence last season knows Collison is the real deal.

The addition of him to Indiana gives them a legit point guard for the first time since scouts thought Jamaal Tinsley could be a star. Collison entering town means T.J. Ford is on his way out. We confidently back Collison as a starting fantasy point guard based off of what we saw last season.

Chris Paul, PG, New Orleans Hornets

Paul is all by himself now in New Orleans, so as long as he stays healthy, he’s still the same stud fantasy point guard we all know and love. The addition of Trevor Ariza gives him another growing scoring threat, and continues allow the declining Peja Stojakovic to come off the bench.

Courtney Lee, SG, Houston Rockets

We weren’t excited about Lee’s potential, even if he was still getting big minutes for the Nets. He’ll be a back-up in Houston, and with Kevin Martin logging superstar minutes, we can’t vouch for the erratic Lee to do anything fancy as a fantasy option. J.J. Redick could very well be a better option in 2010-11, so look for other options if you can.

Kevin Martin, SG, Houston Rockets

Trevor Ariza shot the ball a lot and didn’t shoot great percentages, so his inconsistent shooting and offensive role being shipped to New Orleans is nothing but gravy for Martin.

Martin is already an explosive scorer, so the more freedom he has in the offense, the better off he and Houston will be. Consider him a top-flight fantasy shooting guard, so long as he stays healthy.

Chase Budinger, SF, Houston Rockets

He’ll still have to battle with Courtney Lee and Jared Jeffries a bit in the rotation, but there’s a very good chance he’s the top small forward off the bench behind defensive stalwart, Shane Battier.

Budinger has shown a great shooting touch and a natural flow in the offense, while picking up other parts of his game during a solid summer league showing. He won’t be anything close to an elite fantasy option yet, but he could begin to be a quality find early in the 2010-11 season.

Trevor Ariza, SF, New Orleans Hornets

Perhaps having a stud point guard sending him passes will help Ariza’s paltry shooting percentages. Either way, the role and opportunities will be there once again to give Ariza a shot at fantasy stardom.

He put up solid numbers despite his erratic shooting in 2009-10, and as long as Chris Paul is dishing him passes and he’s in the starting lineup, he should be a quality fantasy provider.

Troy Murphy, F/C, New Jersey Nets

Brook Lopez just got his inside running mate. The trade for the versatile Murphy gives the Nets a sure shooter from the inside, and another tough inside presence.

It also allows rookie Derrick Favors to be brought along slowly. Murphy could very easily be trade bait once again before the trade deadline next season, but for now still resides as a solid inside/outside fantasy option.

Brook Lopez, C, New Jersey Nets

For those who think adding a big man to a starting lineup with a successful big is bad news for fantasy production, you’re in for a nice surprise. Murphy won’t be bumping with the big boys inside nearly as much as he had to in Indiana, as Lopez excels on the inside.

Murphy’s ability to stretch the defense with his range will also free up space for shots and rebounds for Lopez, giving him extra fantasy value.

Anthony Morrow, SF, New Jersey Nets

The loss of Courtney Lee erases some competition, and should give Morrow the starting job to start the season. He’s more on the inconsistent side, but he definitely has the talent and range to turn into a solid fantasy contributor.

Josh McRoberts, PF, VS Tyler Hansbrough, PF, Indiana Pacers

Hansbrough should have the edge here considering he was a first round pick last season, but McRoberts has shown an ability to hit the three from outside, and is arguably the more athletic and better defender of the two.

Both are reasonable question  marks, but we actually like McRoberts’ fantasy potential if he gets a true shot to play considerable minutes at the next level. Monitor the situation, but with Troy Murphy gone, one of these players should vault to a solid status in fantasy basketball.

Looking for top of the line NBA news, 2010-11 season previews, and the best basketball articles you can find? Look no further than NBA Soup’s ‘NBA Dish’, where we point you to elite news, reports, and opinion pieces.

If it’s worth noting, it’s in the NBA Dish. Read on for the latest NBA buzz and columns.

Of course, it all starts with the Knicks bringing back Isiah Thomas, which is a horrible decision, regardless of what magnitude he’ll be involved with the team.

Isiah Thomas returns to New York Knicks as part-time consultant (Yahoo!sports.com)

Carmelo Anthony not feeling a contract extension in Denver? (nbawatercooler.com)

Shaquille O’Neal officially signs with Boston Celtics. (nbawatercooler.com)

Can USA match wits with Spain? (nba.fanhouse.com)

What’s in store for Tracy McGrady? (espn.com)

Anthony Tolliver agrees to terms with Minnesota Timberwolves (startribune.com)

Charlotte Bobcats sign former Kansas star, Sherron Collins (Yahoo!sports.com)

Chicago lands Keith Bogans, hoping to snag Rudy Fernandez from Portland (chicagobreakingsports.com)

Sean May latching on with the New Jersey Nets? (nypost.com)

The 2010 NBA Summer League in Las Vegas came to a close with some more solid performances. Portland’s Luke Babbitt put up his highest scoring total of the summer to cap off a solid summer campaign.

However, Babbitt was just one of many who used the final day to show their teams what they have to offer for the 2010-11 NBA regular season.

Read on for all the highlights of day eight:

Milwaukee 80, Cleveland 66

The Bucks jumped out to a 20-point first half lead and coasted past the Cavs 80-66 for their first win of the Vegas Summer League.

Larry Sanders finished off a strong week with 17 points (7-of-11 FG), five rebounds, and three blocks. He finished the week with an impressive 14.0 points, 8.4 rebounds, 3.2 blocks, and 1.4 steals.

Deron Washington added 17 as well, to go along with four rebounds, three steals, two three-pointers, and a block. He hit double-figure scoring in four games this week and, along with Sanders, was Milwaukee’s standout player.

In a productive 20 minutes off the bench, Sean Williams had 16 points (5-of-7 FG, 6-of-8 FT), 10 rebounds, and a block. Tiny Gallon added eight points, nine rebounds, and three blocks.

Second-round pick Darington Hobson sat out all five games with a sore right groin muscle.

The Cavs were without the services of J.J. Hickson, who dominated the first three games but played just 20 minutes yesterday as the coaching staff looked to get others more minutes, and Danny Green. It was listed that Green had a sprained ankle, but the extent of the injury doesn’t appear to be serious.

Jerome Dyson got the start in place of Green and had 18 points (3-of-11 3PT, 7-of-9 FT). Tasmin Mitchell replaced Hickson in the starting five and had six points, eight rebounds, two steals, and an assist.

Christian Eyenga (11 points, five rebounds, two blocks) and Pooh Jeter (three rebounds, two assists, one steal) each had 11 points.

Off the bench, David Monds had his most impressive game of the week, going for 14 points and 15 rebounds in 31 minutes.

The Cavs finished the week at 3-2.

San Antonio 78, Memphis 64

The Spurs jumped out to a 29-12 lead at the end of the first quarter, had a 22-point lead at the break, and defeated Memphis 78-64 to finish their summer league with a perfect 5-0 record.

Gary Neal was the star for the Spurs with 25 points (9-of-16 FG, 6-of-10 3PT), two rebounds, two assists, and two steals. He averaged 16.0 points in San Antonio’s five games.

The only other starter in double-figures was Tyler Wilkerson, who had 10 points, six rebounds, four steals, and an assist. Curtis Jerrells finished an up-and-down week with nine points, four assists, three rebounds, and a steal.

Off the bench, Eric Dawson chipped in with 14 points, three steals, and two rebounds.

For Memphis, DeMarre Carroll was the only player to crack more than nine points. He finished with 14 points, four rebounds, and a block.

Sam Young, the most consistent player on the Grizzlies’ roster, played just 17 minutes and had three points and four rebounds. Excluding today, he averaged 23.5 points (58.1 percent shooting), four rebounds, 1.3 steals, and 1.0 blocks.

Greivis Vasquez had six points, three assists, two rebounds, a steal, and a block in 26 minutes. He also had seven turnovers.

The Spurs were outshot (43.9 percent for Memphis to 42.6 percent for San Antonio) and outrebounded (30 to 25), but made up for it with 14 steals and nine made three-pointers. Memphis went 3-2 this week.

Portland 83, Chicago 69

Behind balanced scoring and dominant shooting, the Blazers improved to 4-1 with an 83-69 win over the Bulls.

Luke Babbitt paced Portland with 22 points (6-of-8 FG, 2-of-3 3PT, 8-of-8 FT), four rebounds, four steals, three assists, and a block. He scored in double-figures four times, averaging 14.2 points on 45.3 percent shooting to go along with 3.8 rebounds and 1.8 steals.

Portland’s second-round selection, Armon Johnson, finished with 12 points, six assists, and two rebounds. No. 22 pick Elliot Williams was held out due to injury.

Patty Mills had 18 points (7-of-16 FG, 4-of-8 3PT) and three assists, while Dante Cunningham pitched in with 10 points, four rebounds, one assist, and one block.

Reyshawn Terry added nine points and seven boards off the bench.

Chicago was led by Morris Almond, who was their bench spark all week. He had 22 points, five rebounds, and two three-pointers today, and averaged 13.2 points in just 18.4 minutes this week.

Derrick Byars had 14 points, five rebounds, and two assists in his first extended minutes, and Samardo Samuels had 13 points, nine rebounds, and two blocks in 32 minutes.

Jack McClinton added 12 points, three assists, two rebounds, and two steals off the bench. Chicago finished the week with a 1-4 record.

Atlanta 89, Minnesota 83

The Hawks used a late run to stretch their lead to 12 points, and used 15 points apiece from Jordan Crawford and Jeff Teague to defeat Minnesota 89-83.

Crawford struggled with his shot at times this week, but still showed why he was considered one of the premier scorers in this year’s draft. He had 15 points, five assists, and a steal against Minnesota, and scored 15-plus points four times in Atlanta’s five games. He averaged 16.2 points, 3.4 rebounds, 2.6 assists, and 1.8 steals.

Teague had 15 points of his own, with six assists, two steals, two blocks, and a rebound. He scored 15.6 points on 52.2 percent shooting, starting every game for Atlanta.

Alade Aminu had 14 points, five rebounds, and two blocks, while Randolph Morris added 13 points off the bench.

The Timberwolves were led by Lazar Hayward, who had 19 points (4-of-9 FG, 10-of-11 FT), three rebounds, and a steal. He had 14.0 points and 3.5 rebounds in four games.

Wayne Ellington had 18 points (7-of-13 FG, 2-of-4 3PT, 2-of-2 FT), four rebounds, and two assists. Ellington was up-and-down this week, but against Atlanta, Memphis, and Sacramento, he averaged 22.3 points (48.1 percent shooting), 3.0 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 1.3 steals.

Deon Thompson (three rebounds, two assists, two steals) and Patrick O’Bryant (six rebounds, two assists, one steal) each added 12 points apiece.

Minnesota wrapped up the week with a 1-4 record, while Atlanta finished 3-2.

Dallas 85, Sacramento 54

The Mavs jumped out to a 25-7 lead at the end of the first quarter and didn’t look back, routing the Kings 85-54.

Dominique Jones had a game-high 17 points (6-of-11 FG) to go with seven assists and three rebounds. Over the last two games, he averaged 22.5 points, 5.5 assists, and 3.5 rebounds, and put up 16.6 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 3.4 assists as a starter in all five games.

Roddy Beaubois added 15 points (6-of-9 FG, 3-of-3 3PT), two rebounds, and two assists. Ian Mahinmi had five points and eight rebounds, while Omar Samhan had eight points, five rebounds, and a block.

Jeremy Lin had 12 points and five boards off the bench. The Mavs shot 46.4 percent, outrebounded Sacramento 46-37, and held the Kings under 20 points in each quarter to finish the week at 2-3.

The Kings were led in scoring by Sylven Landesberg, who had 13 points, four rebounds, and a steal. Devan Downey had 13 points, three rebounds, and two assists off the bench.

After four impressive games to start summer league, DeMarcus Cousins was flat in the last two affairs. Today he shot just 1-of-12 from the field for six points, six rebounds, and five turnovers.

Through Friday, Cousins was averaging 17.8 points, 11.5 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.8 steals, and 1.0 blocks.

This weekend, that dropped to 8.0 points (4-of-27 FG), 6.5 rebounds, 0.0 assists, 1.0 steals, and 1.5 blocks. Still, overall he had a solid performance and nearly averaged a double-double for the week (14.5 points, 9.8 boards).

Hassan Whiteside added six points and four rebounds and finished the week netting 6.8 points, 5.0 boards, and 2.3 blocks per game.

Omri Casspi and Donte Greene sat out for Sacramento, who finished 4-2 in six games.

NBA D-League Select Team 79, Los Angeles Clippers 78

The D-League Select Team had been competitive most of the week, holding second-half leads against Phoenix, Cleveland, and Memphis. They trailed the entire second half against the Clippers, and it looked like they would finish a competitive week with a 0-5 record.

Until Mark Tyndale stepped in.

Tyndale ran down a loose ball, fired up a 40-footer at the buzzer that went in, and the DST got their first win in Vegas, 79-78.

Tyndale scored a team-high 19 points playing 30 minutes off the bench. He shot 5-of-8 from the field and 8-of-11 from the free throw line en route to 19 points. He also had two rebounds, two steals, and one key three-pointer.

Mike Gansey led the starters with a double-double (15 points, 10 rebounds) and chipped in two three-pointers, an assist, and a steal. Curtis Withers also had a double-double with 14 points (5-of-11 FG, 3-of-4 FT, 1-of-1 3PT), 10 rebounds, two assists, two steals, and a block.

Starting point guard Jonathan Wallace had 13 points (6-of-12 FG), eight assists, four rebounds, and a steal, while Yaroslov Korolev added 11 points, six rebounds, and two steals.

Al-Farouq Aminu had 21 points (4-of-13 FG, 3-of-8 3PT, 10-of-11 FT), four rebounds, three steals, and two blocks to lead the Clippers. The No. 8 pick struggled shooting the ball, going just 17-of-58 in five games, but did average 14.8 points and 5.4 rebounds for the week.

Eric Bledsoe had 13 points, five rebounds, five assists, and a steal as well. He wasn’t his best this week either, averaging just 10.0 points per game (38.6 FG percent, 25.0 3PT percent, 53.6 FT percent) and committing 6.2 turnovers per game.

Rod Benson added 13 points, seven rebounds, three blocks, and two steals in the starting role over DeAndre Jordan, who sat out. Trey Johnson chipped in with 12 points and three assists while Willie Warren had seven points, five rebounds, and three assists in 21 minutes off the bench.

The Clips went just 1-4 and failed to break 80 points in any game.

Day seven of the 2010 NBA Summer League in las Vegas carried plenty of fiery performances and heated battles, along with some young talent producing in a short amount of time.

Ed Davis put in a very solid performance in under 20 minutes. Read on for all the top performances and for an idea as to which rookies might make the best impacts in fantasy basketball in 2010:

New York 109, Washington 107

In just the second overtime game of the 2010 NBA Summer League, the Knicks held on for a 109-107 win over the John Wall-less Wizards to finish the week at 3-2.

New York saw 17 different players earn playing time and had five guys score 11 or more points. Toney Douglas paced the Knicks with 19 points (6-of-13 FG, 3-of-6 3PT, 4-of-7 FT), six assists, three rebounds, and two steals. He finished the week averaging 14.0 points, 5.2 assists, 4.0 rebounds, and 3.0 steals per game.

Landry Fields moved into the starting lineup and had 14 points (5-of-11 FG, 4-of-4 FT), four rebounds, two assists, and a steal. A pleasant summer league surprise, he averaged 15.6 points (52.7 FG percent, 23.1 3PT percent, 73.9 FT percent), 4.8 rebounds, 1.6 steals, and 1.2 assists in 26 minutes per game.

New York’s leading scorer was Leo Lyons, who had 21 points (8-of-14 FG, 4-of-5 FT, 1-of-2 3PT), two rebounds, two assists, and two steals in just 21 minutes. Bill Walker added 11 points on three three-pointers and Jaycee Carroll had 12 points off the bench.

Washington’s two most impressive players, John Wall and JaVale McGee, both sat out. Kevin Palmer was bumped into the starting five and had 21 points (8-of-14 FG, 3-of-6 FT, 2-of-4 3PT), eight rebounds, and three assists.

Cartier Martin led the way with 24 points (9-of-16 FG, 3-of-7 3PT, 3-of-3 FT), four rebounds, two assists, and two steals. Lester Hudson, who hit the game-winning jumper last night, added 19 points (6-of-12 FG, 2-of-2 FT), five three-pointers, nine assists, two rebounds, and a steal.

Washington’s No. 23 pick, Trevor Booker, had his first big game of the week with 15 points, seven rebounds, two assists, and two steals.

Both teams were pretty evenly matched. They both connected on 38 field goals, New York had 11 three-pointers to Washington’s 10, and the Knicks hit 22 free throws to Washington’s 21. Washington wrapped up the week at 4-1.

Miami 73, Cleveland 69

In a tightly contested battle throughout, the Heat pulled away late and held on for a 73-69 win.

Miami went 4-1 this week despite only scoring more than 78 points in one game. They were paced tonight by Antywane Robinson, who had 15 points (6-of-12 FG, 3-of-5 3PT), three rebounds, and a steal.

Weyinmi Efejuku had 13 points, two assists, one rebound, and a steal in 22 minutes off the bench, while rookie Jarvis Varnado had eight points, 10 rebounds, and two blocks.

Patrick Beverley added six points, nine rebounds, four steals, two assists, and a block.

The Cavs were led by Danny Green, who had 17 points (7-of-15 FG, 2-of-5 3PT), two rebounds, two steals, and two blocks. J.J. Hickson, who was averaging 24.3 points and 7.3 rebounds coming into tonight, had just four points and three rebounds, but played only 20 minutes as the Cavs looked to get some other players involved.

Pooh Jeter had 11 points, five assists, two rebounds, and a steal, and Christian Eyenga added 10 points, three rebounds, and an assist.

Jerome Dyson chipped in with 14 points (4-of-13 FG, 2-of-5 3PT), four steals, three rebounds, one assist, and a steal in 29 minutes off the bench.

After shooting over 45 percent in their first three games (and over 50 percent in two of those games), the Cavs struggled, going just 26-of-68 (38.2 percent) from the field.

Toronto 101, New Orleans 93

The Raptors scored 100 points for the fourth time in five games and went on a 22-9 run over the last 5:58 for a 101-93 win, and the week culminated with a perfect 5-0 record.

DeMar DeRozan, Sonny Weems, and Joey Dorsey all sat out for Toronto, but in the end it didn’t matter.

Ronald Dupree had 24 points (7-of-14 FG, 10-of-14 FT), eight rebounds, two assists, and a block, while Cheikh Samb had 19 points (8-of-11 FG), six rebounds, and a whopping seven blocked shots.

Rookie Ed Davis played just 19 minutes, but finished with 14 points, six rebounds, and an assist.            He averaged 12.6 points (63.2 FG percent), 6.0 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks in 25 minutes per game.

Sharpshooter Michael Roll had 11 points and four rebounds while Bobby Brown added 15 points (7-of-11 FG), three assists, and a steal off the bench.

Both New Orleans rookies continued their development nicely this week with strong games to close the week.

Quincy Pondexter had his best game with 26 points (7-of-15 FG, 12-of-15 FT), four rebounds, and two assists. He averaged 15.2 points (40.7 FG percent, 33.3 3PT percent, 78.4 FT percent), 4.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists, and 1.2 steals for the week.

Craig Brackins had his first double-double with 10 points, 10 rebounds, one assist, and a steal.

The Hornets got back-to-back 20 point games from Maurice Ager, who had 21 points (8-of-15 FG), five rebounds, and three assists.

Off the bench, Kyle Hines had 10 points, seven rebounds, two steals, one block, and an assist, while Aubrey Coleman added 12 points.

New Orleans shot just 37.5 percent and finished at 0-5.

San Antonio 77, Los Angeles Clippers 62

The Spurs held the Clippers to eight second-quarter points and the outcome was never in doubt as they coasted to a 77-62 win to move to 4-0 for the week.

Alonzo Gee paced San Antonio with 20 points (7-of-12 FG, 2-of-3 3PT), six rebounds, and a steal. Tyler Wilkerson added 12 points, six rebounds, and three steals.

Other than those two, the Spurs didn’t have anyone in double-digit scoring, but had five guys with six to eight points.

Gary Neal had eight points, four rebounds, three assists, two three-pointers, and a steal, while Curtis Jerrells added six points, seven assists, five steals, and two rebounds.

The Spurs shot 42.0 percent, but held the Clippers to just 34.7 percent shooting. The Clips haven’t broke 72 points in four games.

Al-Farouq Aminu led L.A. with 16 points (4-of-9 FG, 2-of-5 3PT), four rebounds, and a block. DeAndre Jordan had 11 points, eight rebounds, one assist, one steal, and one block as well.

Rookie Eric Bledsoe struggled, going just 1-of-5 from the field and finishing with seven points, four assists, three steals, three rebounds, and eight turnovers.

Sacramento 76, Chicago 75

Tyrese Rice played 14 minutes and scored just one point on Saturday night.

It was the difference in the game.

Rice hit a free throw with 1.6 seconds left and the Kings went to 4-1 with a 76-75 victory over the Bulls.

Rice finished with one point, five assists, and a steal.

Omri Casspi came off the bench to lead the Kings in scoring with 22 points (6-of-12 FG, 5-of-9 3PT, 5-of-6 FT), five rebounds, one steal, and a block.

Temple standout Dionte Christmas had 13 points (4-of-6 FG, 2-of-4 3PT, 3-of-3 FT), two rebounds, one assist, and a steal.

Rookies DeMarcus Cousins and Hassan Whiteside added 10 points apiece. Cousins shot just 3-of-15 from the floor and had seven rebounds, two blocks, and a steal, while Whiteside added four rebounds, three blocks, and a steal of his own.

Chicago was once again led by Samardo Samuels, who had 17 points (6-of-8 FG, 5-of-7 FT), seven rebounds, and two steals. He’s averaging 18.0 points and 8.0 rebounds in his last two games.

Matt Bouldin added 12 points, two assists, and two steals, while James Johnson pitched in with 10 points, six rebounds, three assists, two blocks, and one steal.

Trent Plaisted had six points and eight rebounds off the bench.

Sacramento shot just 35.9 percent (Chicago hit 42.9 percent of their shots), but had eight three-pointers to make up the difference.

Portland 67, Minnesota 60

The Blazers had four players score between 11 and 15 points and used a 24-15 third quarter to pull away from the Timberwolves 67-60.

Luke Babbitt paced Portland with 15 points (3-of-6 3PT), five rebounds, and three steals. He’s averaging a solid 12.3 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 1.3 steals through four games.

The second-leading scorer was second-round pick Armon Johnson, who had 13 points, four rebounds, three assists, and two steals. Johnson has scored in double-digits in three straight games.

Dante Cunningham had 14 points, nine rebounds, three steals, and two blocks in 27 minutes, while Jeff Pendergraph added seven points, 12 rebounds, and four assists. The two are quite a formidable force in the middle, averaging a combined 23.0 points, 16.0 rebounds, 1.8 steals, and 1.3 blocks per game.

Patty Mills had 11 points, five rebounds, and four assists as well.

Once again, Minnesota was without the services of No. 4 pick Wes Johnson, who sat out with a hamstring injury. Patrick O’Bryant was the top performer for the T’Wolves with 16 points (7-of-10 FG), 10 rebounds, three blocks, and an assist.

Deon Thompson had his second-straight double-double with 13 points (6-of-8 FG), 12 rebounds, and two assists. In three games, he’s averaging 11.7 points (53.6 FG percent), 10.3 rebounds, 1.0 assists, and 1.0 blocks.

Lazar Hayward was back in the lineup and finished with 10 points, five rebounds, and a block. Jeremy Pargo added 11 points, four rebounds, two assists, and a steal.

Atlanta 97, NBA D-League Select Team 86

After holding second-half leads in their first three games, the D-League Select Team couldn’t keep up with Atlanta, and the Hawks rolled to a 97-86 win to even their record at 2-2.

Jeff Teague and Jordan Crawford were a dynamic backcourt duo, combining for 37 points (59.1 FG percent, 100.0 FT percent) and seven assists.

Teague shot 7-of-11 from the field and 5-of-5 from the free throw line to finish with 19 points, four assists, and a block. Crawford went 6-of-11 from the field and 6-of-6 from the line to add 18 points, three assists, two rebounds, and two steals.

Between Crawford and Teague, the Hawks are getting 32.3 points, 7.0 assists, 5.3 rebounds, and 2.8 steals per game.

Trey Gilder added 10 points (5-of-5 FG), eight rebounds, and an assist, while Alade Aminu pitched in with eight points, six rebounds, and three blocks.

The Hawks got 42 points off the bench. Jermario Davidson had nine and seven rebounds, Randolph Morris had eight and six rebounds, James Augustine had eight, five rebounds, and three assists, and Luke Jackson finished with eight, two three-pointers, and two rebounds.

Mark Tyndale led the DSL with 21 points (5-of-7 FG, 11-of-11 FT), three rebounds, and a block. He’s averaging 13.3 points, 2.5 rebounds, 1.0 assists, and 1.0 steals in four games.

Curtis Withers shot 7-of-8 from the field to finish with 19 points, six rebounds, three assists, and a steal. Mike Gansey had 15 points (his third game with 15-plus points) and six rebounds.

Jonathan Wallace added 11 points, four assists, three rebounds, and two steals, while Yaroslav Korolev pitched in with 10 points and two rebounds off the bench.

The Hawks shot 50.0 percent from the field, outrebounded the DSL 41-31, and committed just 10 turnovers.

NBA Soup continues its coverage of the 2010 NBA Summer League with updates and stats from day six.

Catch all the action and star performances from all the basketball games featuring the league’s young stars:

New York 92, Detroit 80

The Knicks used a 31-18 run in the third quarter to separate themselves from the Pistons and held on for a 92-80 win to improve to 2-2.

New York was led by Bill Walker, who finished with 19 points (7-of-16 FG, 3-of-7 3PT), five assists, four rebounds, two steals, and a block.

Jerome Jordan had a double-double: 16 points, 10 fouls. He added seven rebounds, an assist, steal, and block.

Second-round pick Landry Fields continued his solid play with 15 points (7-of-13 FG, 1-of-2 3PT), six rebounds, two assists, one steal, and one block. He’s averaging 16.0 points on 54.5 percent shooting and 5.0 rebounds in four games. Andy Rautins hit a three-pointer for a fourth straight game, but only had nine points and two assists.

New York’s standout player so far, Toney Douglas, struggled shooting (2-of-10 FG) and had just five points, but added four rebounds, three steals, and two assists. Leo Lyons had 11 points and four rebounds off the bench.

Detroit was led by rookie Greg Monroe, who burst out of the gates to finish with 27 points (8-of-10 FG, 11-of-16 FT), 14 rebounds, two assists, and a steal. He only totaled 26 points in the first three games of summer league, but averaged 23.5 points (14-of-22 FG), 10.0 rebounds, 1.0 assists, 1.0 steals, and 1.0 blocks the last two games.

Another Georgetown Hoya, DaJuan Summers, continued his strong play with 14 points, four rebounds, one assist, and a steal. He averaged 15.8 points and 4.2 rebounds for the week.

Terrico White, Detroit’s second round pick, couldn’t find the rim, shooting just 2-of-9 and finishing with four points. Marquez Haynes added 10 points off the bench.

Austin Daye sat out for the Pistons, who finished the week 2-3.

Toronto 88, Sacramento 82

Even though they didn’t crack 100 points for the first time in Las Vegas, the Raptors outlasted the Kings in a battle of the unbeatens for an 88-82 win Friday night.

Last year’s No. 9 pick, DeMar DeRozan, continued his impressive play with 22 points (6-of-12 FG, 10-of-13 FT), seven rebounds, three assists, and a steal. In four games, he’s averaging 21.0 points (58.0 FG percent, 40.0 3PT percent), 4.5 rebounds, and 1.5 assists.

This year’s No. 12 pick, Ed Davis, had his best game of the week: 17 points (6-of-9 FG, 5-of-6 FT), seven rebounds, and five blocked shots.

Sonny Weems added 19 points, five rebounds, and three assists. Second-round pick Solomon Alabi continued his efficient play off the bench with eight points, five rebounds, and a block in 19 minutes.

Sacramento was led by Donte Greene, who had 20 points (6-of-18 FG, 2-of-4 3PT), three rebounds, one assist, and a block.

No. 5 pick DeMarcus Cousins finished with his first triple-double of the week: 16 points (5-of-18 FG, 6-of-7 FT), 12 rebounds…and 10 fouls. He also added two assists, one steal, and one block.

Cousins has had a double-double in his first four games, with 17.8 points, 11.5 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.8 steals, and 1.0 blocks.

Omri Casspi had 12 points, four rebounds, an assist, and a steal in 29 minutes. Second-round pick Hassan Whiteside had 10 points, five rebounds, three blocks, one steal, and is averaging 2.8 blocks a game so far this week.

Sacramento shot just 38.4 percent (28-of-73) and fell to 3-1, while Toronto improved to 4-0.

Washington 90, New Orleans 89

A three-pointer from Craig Brackins with 2.2 seconds left looked like it would give New Orleans its first win of the summer league and hand Washington their first loss.

Lester Hudson had other ideas.

Hudson hit a pull-up jumper from the top of the key as time expired and the Wizards improved to 4-0 with a 90-89 win over the Hornets.

The hero of the night, Hudson finished with 14 points (5-of-10 FG, 3-of-5 3PT), three rebounds, two assists, and a steal.

The player everyone wanted to see, No. 1 overall pick John Wall, had a personal summer-league best 31 points (10-of-23 FG, 10-of-13 FT, 1-of-3 3PT), six rebounds, three assists, three steals, one block, and just two turnovers. In the last two games, he’s committed just five turnovers after having 16 in the first two games.

Wall has been quite impressive despite somewhat struggling from the field (37.7 FG percent, 12.5 3PT percent, 87.2 FT percent), averaging 23.5 points, 7.8 assists, 4.0 rebounds, and 2.5 steals in 32 minutes per game.

JaVale McGee was dominant yet again, with 29 points (13-of-16 FG), eight rebounds, two assists, and a block. Rookie Trevor Booker added seven points and five rebounds.

The Hornets were paced by Maurice Ager, who had 23 points (6-of-12 FG, 9-of-11 FT, 2-of-4 3PT), five rebounds, and four assists. Kyle Hines had an efficient 15 points, 14 rebounds, three assists, and two blocks in 29 bench minutes.

Rookies Quincy Pondexter and Craig Brackins each finished in double-digits. Pondexter had 16 points, five rebounds, one assist, and a steal, while Brackins had 11 points (4-of-7 FG, 3-of-4 3PT), five rebounds, and one steal.

Aubrey Coleman added 15 points and four rebounds off the bench.

This game was full of highlight reel plays, including Hudson lobbing a pass off the backboard on a fastbreak, leading to a Wall dunk, and perhaps the biggest posterizing dunk of the summer league, when JaVale McGee threw down a vicious one-handed slam over Kyle Hines.

Cleveland 81, Chicago 80

The Bulls led almost wire-to-wire until Pooh Jeter hit a three-pointer from the right corner and the Cavs escaped with an 81-80 victory to move to 3-0 for the week.

Jeter has had a strong showing this week and hasn’t done anything to hurt his case for finally making it to the NBA next year. He had 20 points (6-of-13 FG, 6-of-6 FT, 2-of-3 3PT), seven assists, and a rebound.

J.J. Hickson had his third straight impressive game with 21 points (7-of-14 FG, 7-of-10 FT), four rebounds, one assist, and a steal. He’s averaging 24.3 points (62.2 percent shooting) and 7.3 rebounds this week.

Last year’s first-round pick Christian Eyenga added 10 points and six rebounds, while Danny Green had eight points and seven rebounds.

The Bulls had balanced scoring with four players in double-digits. Samardo Samuels led Chicago with 19 points (6-of-10 FG, 7-of-9 FT) and nine rebounds.

John Lucas III continued his strong play with 15 points, two assists, two steals, and a rebound. He’s averaging 18.3 points (54.3 FG percent, 71.4 3PT percent, 77.8 FT percent), 2.7 assists, and 2.0 steals through three games.

Trent Plaisted had 12 points and 10 rebounds in 29 minutes, while Morris Almond added 14 points off the bench.

Cleveland shot 45.2 percent (28-of-62) to Chicago’s 38.7 (24-of-62), but the Bulls made 11 more free throws to make up the difference.

Minnesota 66, Memphis 65

In Friday’s third contest decided by one-point, Minnesota held off the Grizzlies down the stretch for a 66-65 win and their first win in Vegas.

Wayne Ellington had an impressive 25 points (10-of-24 FG, 5-of-5 FT), nine rebounds, two assists, and two steals. After struggling against the Spurs, Ellington had 24 on Wednesday against Sacramento and continued his solid play with a great game tonight.

Fellow UNC alum Deon Thompson had 12 points, 12 rebounds, three blocks, one assist, and one steal in his second-straight start. Patrick O’Bryant added 11 points, six rebounds, four blocks, two steals, and an assist.

Two of this year’s draft picks, Wes Johnson and Lazar Hayward, sat out.

Memphis was led by Sam Young, who followed his 35-point effort against the D-League Select Team with 25 points (11-of-20 FG, 3-of-5 3PT), four rebounds, three assists, one steal, and a block. He’s averaging 23.5 points (58.2 FG percent, 45.5 3PT percent, 73.5 FT percent), 3.8 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.3 steals, and 1.0 blocks in four games.

Hasheem Thabeet had six points, eight rebounds, and three blocks in 33 minutes, and rookie Greivis Vasquez added 13 points (4-of-11 FG, 3-of-5 3PT, 2-of-3 FT), five assists, and a rebound.

Thabeet’s college teammate, Jeff Adrien, had 10 points, 14 rebounds, one block, and an assist off the bench.

Minnesota won despite shooting just 34.3 percent (23-of-67) and not making one three-pointer.

Miami 78, Milwaukee 58

The Heat dominated the third quarter (25-7) to jump out to a 20-point lead and improved to 3-1 with a 78-58 win over Milwaukee.

Shavlik Randolph led Miami with 18 points (6-of-12 FG, 5-of-7 FT, 1-of-1 3PT), six rebounds, three assists, and a steal. Kenny Hasbrouck continued his solid play with 14 points (5-of-10 FG, 4-of-7 3PT), four assists, and two rebounds.

For the second straight game, Weyinmi Efejuku had double-digit scoring with 13 points (4-of-8 FG, 5-of-5 FT), five assists, two rebounds, and a steal.

Off the bench, Davon Jefferson had 10 points, five rebounds, and an assist.

Jarvis Varnado had three points, three rebounds, and two blocks in 14 minutes. Dexter Pittman and Jon Scheyer did not play.

Milwaukee was paced by Gonzaga grad Micah Downs, who had 21 points (7-of-10 FG, 2-of-2 FT), five three-pointers, four rebounds, one steal, and a block.

Larry Sanders continued his standout play for the Bucks with 14 points, eight rebounds, five blocks, and a steal. He’s averaging 13.3 points, 9.3 rebounds, 3.3 blocks, 1.8 steals, and 1.0 assists in four games.

Fellow rookie Tiny Gallon added three points, nine rebounds, eight turnovers, and seven fouls.

Milwaukee fell to 0-4.

We continue our coverage of the 2010 NBA Summer League with Day Five in Las Vegas, with another onslaught of star-studded performances.

Don’t let anyone tell you that summer league action doesn’t mean anything, as several unknowns have begun to make a name for themselves.

Read on to see the guys who stepped up in day five:

Denver 99, Chicago 71

Once again led by Ty Lawson and a balanced scoring effort, the Nuggets blew out the Bulls 99-71 and appear to be running away with the Vegas Summer League.

Lawson finished with 18 points, (6-of-10 FG, 5-of-5 FT), four assists, and three rebounds. Thirteen of his points and three of his assists came in the first quarter, where he set the tone as Denver jumped out to a 28-18 lead and never looked back.

The Nuggets shot 58.6 percent from the field, had 12 steals, and forced 24 turnovers.

Othello Hunter had another solid performance with 13 points and five rebounds, while Shane Edwards continued to stuff the stat sheet with 10 points, two rebounds, two assists, and three steals.

Coby Karl played just 22 minutes but had six points, four rebounds, three assists, and three steals.

Off the bench, Laurence Ekperigin had 14 points and three rebounds, and Brian Hamilton added 10 points and two steals.

Chicago only had two players reach double-digits in scoring. John Lucas III led the way with 15 points (6-of-11 FG, 3-of-5 3PT), three assists, two steals, and one rebound.

James Johnson added 13 points, two assists, two blocks, and one rebound. Trent Plaisted led Chicago with seven rebounds off the bench.

Cleveland 88, NBA D-League Select Team 82

The Cavs had six players in double-digits and fought back in the fourth quarter to defeat the DST 88-82.

Even though the DST led for a majority of the game, it was the play of guard Pooh Jeter that was the difference for Cleveland. He finished with 17 points, seven assists, two rebounds, and two steals, and hit some contested jumpers that gave the Cavs a cushion they wouldn’t relent.

J.J. Hickson, who is figured to be relied upon for big minutes this upcoming season, was the high-scorer with 18 points (9-of-12 FG). He also had nine rebounds and one assist, though he did go 0-of-6 from the foul line.

Last year’s first-round pick, Christian Eyenga, looked impressive as well. He made a few tremendous blocks and finished with 13 points (4-of-7 FG, 1-of-2 3PT), four rebounds, two blocks, and one steal.

Maciej Lampe had 12 points, four rebounds, and two assists and Danny Green added 12 points, four rebounds, four assists, three steals, and a block to go along with eight turnovers.

Tasmin Mitchell had a double-double off the bench with 11 points and 11 rebounds.

For the DST, former Kansas guard Russell Robinson led the charge with 20 points (7-of-12 FG, 1-of-2 3PT, 5-of-6 FT), three assists, two rebounds, and a steal.

Temple standout Mark Tyndale had 17 points, three rebounds, two assists, and two steals off the bench, while Larry Owens had 15 points and five steals and Yaroslav Korolev had 12 points, three assists, two rebounds, and one steal.

Curtis Withers added nine points and nine rebounds.

Toronto 100, Houston 91

For the second straight game, the Raptors cracked 100 points, and on Tuesday survived a late rally from the Rockets to hold on for a 100-91 victory.

DeMar DeRozan was Toronto’s leading man with 23 points (10-of-15 FG), five rebounds, two assists, one steal, and one block.

Bobby Brown shot lights out, going 6-of-7 from the field, 6-of-7 from the line, and 2-of-2 from the three-point line to finish 20 points, three assists, and two steals.

Joey Dorsey and Sonny Weems each had 13 points. Dorsey shot 6-of-8 from the field and had 12 rebounds, two assists, and a block, while Weems added five rebounds and two steals.

Rookie Ed Davis wasn’t as sharp in his second outing, finishing with just four points (1-of-3 FG, 2-of-6 FT), four rebounds, one assist, one steal, and one block to go with three turnovers. But Solomon Alabi was productive in his 18 bench minutes, going for 10 points (2-of-4 FG, 6-of-6 FT) and six rebounds.

The Rockets had six players in double-figures, but it was their poor field goal percentage that cost them (43.2 percent compared to 52.9 percent for Toronto).

Jermaine Taylor led Houston with 17 points, three rebounds and a steal. Jordan Hill had another solid performance 15 points, six rebounds, and a steal.

Patrick Patterson bounced back from a few rough outings with 14 points (6-of-13 FG), nine rebounds (four offensive), and a block. Chase Budinger had 13 points, five rebounds, and three assists.

Ish Smith had a game-high nine assists. Trevon Hughes and Alexander Johnson had 10 points apiece off the bench.

Memphis 67, Milwaukee 64

Sam Young buried a three-pointer at the buzzer to lift the Grizzlies to a 67-64 win over the Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday night. The win improved Memphis to 2-0 while Milwaukee dropped to 0-2.

Leading by six with about 30 seconds to go, Memphis saw their lead quickly dissipate on a pair of back-to-back three-pointers by Larry Sanders before Young’s heroics.

Young led the Grizzlies with 15 points, three rebounds, three steals, and a block. O.J. Mayo, maybe the biggest name in the Vegas Summer League, struggled from the floor (3-of-10 FG) and finished with 11 points, three assists, and two rebounds…but also had eight fouls and seven turnovers.

Through two games, he has 15 turnovers and 11 personal fouls.

Hasheem Thabeet had an effective game in the middle with 12 points, eight rebounds, three blocks, and a steal. Jeff Adrien added eight points, seven rebounds, and two steals off the bench.

Rookie Greivis Vasquez had five points, one rebound, one assist, and one steal in 20 minutes, while Xavier Henry did not play.

For Milwaukee, Sanders was dominant with 22 points (9-of-14 FG, 2-of-3 3PT), nine rebounds, two assists, two blocks, and one steal.

Deron Washington was the only other Buck in double-figures, finishing with 16 points, six rebounds, one assist, and one steal.

Rookie Tiny Gallon had eight points, 11 rebounds, and a block off the bench.

Other than the ending, it wasn’t an aesthetically pleasing game. Milwaukee shot 22-of-54 from the field and 13-of-20 from the line while Memphis wasn’t much better, going 20-of-55 from the field and 26-of-46 from the line.

Sacramento 90, Los Angeles Lakers 84

No. 5 pick DeMarcus Cousins had an impressive game as the Kings used a strong second-half to scoot past the Lakers 90-84.

Cousins went 8-of-20 from the field and finished with 19 points, 12 rebounds (six offensive, six defensive), three assists, two steals, and two blocks. He’s put up a double-double in his first two summer league games. Sylven Landesberg added 13 points and four rebounds starting at the guard spot.

Sacramento got strong play from the bench, particularly from one of last year’s starters: Donte Greene. Greene had 17 points (6-of-10 FG, 3-of-5 3PT), three rebounds, two assist, and a steal.

Tennessee standout Wayne Chism had 13 points (6-of-7 FG) and four rebounds, while Devan Downey chipped in with 11 points, five assists, three steals, and two rebounds.

Rookie Hassan Whiteside had four points, five rebounds, and two blocks in 31 minutes.

The Lakers dropped to 0-4 but still had solid contributions from all five starters. Devin Ebanks finished with 12 points, three rebounds, and one assist, and is averaging 16.0 points, 2.8 rebounds, 1.5 assists, and 1.5 steals this summer.

Derrick Caracter had 14 points, five rebounds, four blocks, one assist, and one steal, and is putting up some impressive numbers (16.8 points (60.4 percent shooting), 9.3 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.5 blocks).

D.J. Strawberry led the Lakers with 17 points, four assists, two rebounds, and two blocks. Frank Robinson had 14 points, four rebounds, four steals, one assist, and one block.

Courtney Sims had a double-double with 13 points, 14 rebounds, one block, and an assist. Gerald Green added 10 points and five rebounds off the bench.

Portland 81, New Orleans 69

Patty Mills led the Blazers with 18 points and Portland shot 53.3 percent from the field as they beat the Hornets 81-69 on Tuesday to improve to 2-0 in Vegas.

Mills shot 6-of-9 from the field, 4-of-5 from the line, and 2-of-4 from the three-point line to go along with three assists, three rebounds, and three steals.

Rookie Armon Johnson thrived in a starting role, going for 15 points (6-of-12 FG, 3-of-4 FT), five assists, three steals, and one rebound. Luke Babbitt added nine points and one rebound.

Dante Cunningham and Jeff Pendergraph were forces inside. Cunningham had 14 points and five rebounds while Pendergraph went for 11 points, six rebounds, three blocks, one assist, and a steal.

Elliot Williams sat out for Portland.

For New Orleans, they were without the services of Marcus Thornton and Darren Collison. Both were scheduled to get some rest.

Aubrey Coleman led all scorers with 19 points (8-of-13 FG), five rebounds, three steals, and one assist.

Rookie Quincy Pondexter had 11 points, three rebounds, two steals, and two assists. Fellow newcomer Craig Brackins added nine points (3-of-3 FG, 3-of-3 3PT) and three rebounds.

Golden State 72, Miami 69

If the Summer League is any indication, then Golden State might have found another diamond in the rough.

Reggie Williams exploded for 23 points (8-of-19 FG, 3-of-6 3PT, 4-of-4 FT), seven rebounds, five assists, and a steal as the Warriors rallied in the fourth to earn a 72-69 win over the Heat.

Through four games, Williams is averaging 23.8 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 3.3 assists, and has been one of the breakout performers in Las Vegas.

Kasib Powell had 16 points and a block off the bench, while Jason Rich (three rebounds, two assists) and Brian Chase (five assists, one rebound) each had 10 points.

Kim Tillie led Golden State with eight rebounds.

Ekpe Udoh sat out again with a left wrist injury while Brandan Wright, who has played in two games so far this summer, did not play.

Miami may be having open auditions with their summer league roster, and Kenny Hasbrouck has been the one that has stood out the most. He once again led the team in scoring with 14 points to go along with two assists and a steal.

Dexter Pittman had seven points and four rebounds and Jarvis Varnado had nine points, six rebounds, one steal, and one block.

Shalik Randolph added eight points and eight rebounds. Garret Siler had 10 points and six rebounds off the bench.

The 2010 NBA Summer League in Las Vegas got off to a roaring start on Day Three, as the Denver Nuggets summer squad ripped off 100 points in a high-scoring affair with the New York Knicks.

Day Three held just four games, but there were still plenty of quality performances worth noting.

Read on for the top performers and the final outcomes of all four games in Las Vegas:

Denver Nuggets 100, New York Knicks 90

Toney Douglas paced the Knicks with an impressive game, scoring 27 points, while making 5-of-11 three-point shots. Douglas also cleaned the glass and helped out his teammates, as he tore down six boards and handed out five assists.

Second-round pick Landry Fields put in a solid performance off the bench, scoring 13 points and grabbing five boards.

Bill Walker had extreme issues with defense, fouling nine times, but still escaped the game with 14 points.

On Denver’s side, Ty Lawson continued to expand on his leadership and scoring abilities, as he scored 28 points and dished out seven dimes in Denver’s third win in three summer league games.

Coby Karl was also impressive, pouring in 22 points, grabbing seven boards, and dishing out four assists.

Portland Trail Blazers 84, Houston Rockets 67

Rookie Luke Babbitt led a balance Portland scoring attack with 13 points and four rebounds, as Patrick Mills helped out with 12 points, seven rebounds, and nine assists in Portland’s win.

It was all about Chase Budinger for Houston, as the second-year wing man out of Arizona dropped 21 points on the Blazers in the loss.

Jordan Hill chipped in 10 points and nine rebounds, while rookie Patrick Patterson struggled from the floor going 0-for-5 and finishing with 0 points and seven boards.

Washington Wizards 84, Golden State Warriors 79

John Wall got his rookie season off to a solid start in Washington’s victory, scoring 24 points and dishing out eight assists, despite turning the ball over eight times.

JaVale McGee had some obvious chemistry with Wall, as the two hooked up for some nice scoring connections. McGee ended the night with a solid performance, as he registered a double-double with 21 points and 13 rebounds.

Reggie Williams put in the only noteworthy performance for the losing Warriors, and what a performance it was. Williams went off for 34 points as he connected on 10-of-22 shots, and went 4-for-8 from three-point range. Williams also filled up the stats sheet with four rebounds and three assists.

Miami Heat 77, New Orleans Hornets 72

After making the deals to bring in their “Big Three” and news about potential veteran additions, the Miami Heat are holding open auditions via the NBA Summer League.

Shavlick Randolph’s stepped up and made his name known, as the former Duke product scored 18 points and grabbed six rebounds. Another former Dukie, guard Jon Scheyer, scored 11 points and hit a back-breaking three-pointer late to help the Heat close-out the game. Scheyer also chipped in five boards and three assists.

The performance of the game belonged to Kenny Hasbrouck, however, as he scored 24 points on an impressive 10-for-15 from the floor.

Marcus Thornton led the Hornets’ attack, scoring 14 points and grabbing six rebounds. Rookie Craig Brackins turned in the next best performance for New Orleans, as he chipped in 12 points in the loss.

Catch up on all the excitement of the 2010 NBA Summer League in Las Vegas. Basketball fans are blessed with daily entertainment, usually with at least seven games to choose from.

Read on for day four’s top performances and game recaps:

New York 71, Los Angeles Lakers 63

Second-round pick Landry Fields had 17 points off the bench and the Knicks got their first win of the Vegas Summer League on Monday with a 71-63 triumph against the Lakers.

Fields played 23 minutes and went 7-of-11 from the field, 2-of-3 from the foul line, and 1-of-3 from the three-point line. He also pulled down five rebounds and had three steals and two blocks.

The only other Knick to score in double-figures was Bill Walker, who had 14 points, two rebounds, and an assist. A day after committing nine fouls and seven turnovers, he had just four fouls and one turnover against L.A.

Toney Douglas struggled shooting (3-of-10 FG), but made his presence felt elsewhere. He had six points, seven assists, five rebounds, and five steals.

Andy Rautins had just three points, going 1-of-6 from the three-point line.

The Lakers were led by Derrick Caracter, who continued a solid run of summer league play with a 16-point, 10-rebound performance. However, he also had eight fouls and eight turnovers.

D.J. Strawberry had 12 points, three assists, a rebound, and a block. Former Michigan Wolverine Courtney Sims had 11 points and five rebounds.

Perhaps the biggest disappointment for L.A. was Devin Ebanks. Ebanks, who had great games in his first two outings, struggled mightily against the Knicks, going just 2-of-13 from the field and finishing with seven points, five rebounds, and four turnovers.

Sacramento 97, Detroit 68

The Kings shot 50.0 percent from the floor and held Detroit to just 35.5 percent shooting en route to a dominant 97-68 win to open their summer.

Sacramento had five players in double-figures, led by last year’s breakout star Omri Casspi. Casspi came off the bench for 16 points (5-of-10 FG, 5-of-6 FT), five rebounds, and two assists.

Rookies DeMarcus Cousins and Hassan Whiteside got the start opposite one another and provided quite a towering frontcourt. Cousins had 14 points, 10 rebounds, and one assist, while Whiteside added five points, five rebounds, five blocks, and a steal.

Starting at guard, Ryan Thompson added 12 points and Donte Greene had 11 points, two rebounds, two blocks, and an assist.

Tyrese Rice added 15 points in a reserve role.

The Pistons went down early and never recovered. They turned the ball over 18 times and were dismal shooting the ball.

Only three players hit double-figure scoring, and not one cracked 10 points.

DaJuan Summers had 10 points (just 3-of-11 FG), four rebounds, a steal and a block. A.J. Slaughter added 10 off the bench.

Austin Daye, who put up 20-plus points in his first two games, went 0-for-7 from the field and had six fouls and four turnovers. He finished with just five points and two assists.

Rookie Greg Monroe didn’t fare much better, with seven fouls and four turnovers of his own. He hit 3-of-7 shots and had seven points, seven rebounds, one assist, and one steal.

Mac Koshwal had 10 points and 12 rebounds as well.

San Antonio 85, Minnesota 61

The Spurs are used to not being flashy; they just go out, do their job, and usually end up winning.

It appears their Vegas Summer League team is doing the same.

No player had more than 12 points, but the team shot over 50 percent from the field and won all four quarters as they rolled over the Timberwolves 85-61 in both teams’ opener.

Alonzo Gee and Dwayne Mitchell each had 12 points to lead San Antonio. Gee also had eight rebounds, four assists, and three steals, while Mitchell had three steals, a rebound, and an assist of his own.

Garrett Temple had 11 points, two steals, a rebound, an assist, and a block, while Curtis Jerrells added 11 points, four rebounds, and three assists.

DeJuan Blair did not play for the Spurs.

For the Timberwolves, No. 4 pick Wes Johnson got the start and had a so-so debut in 25 minutes. He finished with 10 points (4-of-7 FG, 1-of-1 FT, 1-of-2 3PT), one rebound, and one block.

It was another rookie who led Minnesota in scoring: Lazar Hayward. Hayward had 13 points (4-of-10 FG), two rebounds, and two steals.

Jeremy Pargo added 12 points, four assists, two rebounds, and two steals, while Patrick O’Bryant had nine points, seven rebounds, and two steals.

The two teams combined for 55 turnovers (28 for San Antonio, 27 for Minnesota).

Dallas 73, Milwaukee 72

The Mavs got a game-tying bucket from J.R. Giddens with .3 seconds left in regulation, and then Roddy Beaubois hit the go-ahead jumper with .7 seconds left to lift Dallas to a 73-72 overtime win over Milwaukee.

Giddens and Beaubois were Dallas’ only two double-figure scorers, but they made enough big plays down the stretch in a tightly-contested battle to eek out their first win in Vegas.

Giddens had 16 points (7-of-11 FG, 2-of-3 3PT), four rebounds, one assist, one steal, and one block. Beaubois had 15 points (6-of-14 FG, 3-of-5 3PT), seven assists, and one steal, but did have eight fouls and six turnovers.

St. Mary’s star Omar Samhan had nine points, nine rebounds, and a block, while Mouhammad Faye had four points, 11 rebounds, and two blocks.

Rookie Dominique Jones struggled shooting (3-of-12 FG), but filled up the stat sheet with nine points, four rebounds, three assists, two steals, and two blocks.

Darnell Jackson led Milwaukee with 17 points (8-of-15 FG), seven rebounds, and a block. Deron Washington had 11 points, eight rebounds, two assists, and two steals.

Rookie Larry Sanders didn’t shoot the ball particularly well (4-of-15 FG), but had nine points, seven rebounds, three blocks, one assist, and one steal. He also had six turnovers and five fouls.

Both teams shot nearly identical percentages (40.9 percent for Milwaukee, 40.0 percent for Dallas) and had similar rebounding (40 for Milwaukee, 37 for Dallas) and turnover (22 for Milwaukee, 20 for Dallas) numbers.

Phoenix 96, NBA D-League Select Team 88

The D-League Select Team played well, had a halftime lead and stretched it out to double-digits midway through the third quarter, but couldn’t put it all together and eventually fell to the Suns 96-88.

Phoenix rookie Gani Lawal had a triple-double, but did so with one category you’d want to avoid: 15 points (6-of-12 FG, 3-of-6 FT), 11 rebounds, and 10 fouls.

Earl Clark led the Suns with 18 points (6-of-12 FG, 6-of-7 FT), five rebounds, four assists, and a block. Matt Janning of Northeastern had 15 points, seven rebounds, one assist, and one steal.

Undrafted rookie Scottie Reynolds came off the bench and had 16 points in 18 minutes in his first summer league action. He went 4-of-6 from the field, 4-of-4 from the free throw line, and 2-of-2 from the three-point line while adding three assists, two rebounds, and one steal.

It was the bench of the DST that made a significant impact. Russell Robinson led the team with 17 points (3-of-7 FG, 9-of-13 FT), four steals, two assists, and a rebound, while Olmsted Falls-native and West Virginia graduate Mike Gansey had 15 points (5-of-6 FG, 3-of-3 3PT), two assists, one rebound, and a steal.

Curtis Withers led the DST starters with 16 points (8-of-8 FT), seven rebounds, two blocks, and an assist. Larry Owens added 12 points, seven rebounds, two assists, and a steal, while Jonathan Wallace from Georgetown chipped in with 10 points.

Washington 89, Los Angeles Clippers 64

Former teammates John Wall and Eric Bledsoe had their first NBA showdown Monday night, and it was the No. 1 pick that came away with the first laugh.

Wall had 18 points, 10 assists, and five steals as the Wizards dominated their second-straight outing in an 89-64 laugher against the Clippers. Wall also turned the ball over eight times, giving him 16 through two games, but once again dictated tempo and looked like a legit, NBA-ready point guard.

Nick Young also had 18 points (6-of-11 FG, 4-of-7 3PT, 2-of-2 FT) for Washington to go along with two steals, one block, and a rebound.

JaVale McGee had a double-double, putting up 10 points while pulling down 12 rebounds. Rookie Trevor Booker added eight points, four rebounds, a steal, and a block.

Bledsoe and Nik Caner-Medley each had 17 points for the Clippers. Bledsoe shot 6-of-15 from the field and had six rebounds, four assists, and a steal, but also committed 10 turnovers.

Caner-Medley had four rebounds and three three-point field goals.

No. 8 pick Al-Farouq Aminu had 11 points (3-of-9 FG, 5-of-7 FT), seven rebounds, and an assist in his first summer league action. Second-round pick Willie Warren hit 10 points and had a little of everything else (one rebound, one assist, one steal).

Los Angeles shot just 36.4 percent (20-of-55) from the field, turned the ball over 29 times, and cracked 20 points in just one quarter (25 in the third). They scored just nine points in the fourth.

Memphis 89, Atlanta 85

The Grizzlies built a 17-point first-half lead and held off a late rally from the Hawks to win their Vegas opener, 89-85.

All five Memphis starters scored in double-figures, while lottery pick Xavier Henry did not play, as he currently is not with the team.

O.J. Mayo, who is playing to get some experience at the point guard spot, played 33 minutes and led the Grizz with 20 points (8-of-13 FG, 4-of-4 FT), three assists, two rebounds, and a steal. He did turn the ball over eight times, which isn’t great considering he’ll be the starting PG if Memphis ships out Mike Conley, Jr. this summer (they are rumored to be interested in doing so).

Sam Young added 19 points (6-of-11 FG, 6-of-6 FT), a rebound, and an assist.

Last year’s No. 2 pick, Hasheem Thabeet, had a solid debut with 11 points, seven rebounds, two blocks, and an assist.

Darrell Arthur had 17 points (8-of-13 FG), seven rebounds, three assists, and a steal, while DeMarre Carroll added 12 points, eight rebounds, three assists, and two steals.

Rookie Greivis Vasquez played 17 minutes and had two points, four assists, three rebounds, and two steals.

Atlanta’s last two first-round picks (Jeff Teague and Jordan Crawford) led the way with 16 points apiece. Teague shot 5-of-10 from the field with four rebounds, three assists, and a steal.

Crawford was dynamic from the perimeter, going 4-of-9 from the three-point line, and also added five assists, three rebounds, and three steals.

Alade Aminu chipped in with 14 points, three rebounds, two steals, and a block.

Memphis shot 51.6 percent compared to Atlanta’s 45.5 percent, and out-rebounded the Hawks 37-27. They won despite committing 21 turnovers and hitting one three-pointer.