Now that’s more like it.
After struggling through his first three NBA Summer League games, scoring zero, three and four points respectively, former UConn star Alex Karaban came alive on Wednesday night, pouring in a team-high 21 and grabbing eight rebounds in the Sacramento Kings’ 82-76 loss to the Boston Celtics.
Karaban shot 7-for-15 from the field and caught fire from 3-point range, knocking down five of seven attempts. He did it all in 26 minutes of action.
“It felt great. I knew I had to step up some more with a couple of our key pieces out tonight, but I’ve been getting more comfortable game to game now and I feel extremely comfortable out there now,” Karaban told reporters after the game.
“I’ve got to let it fly, and that’s something the coaches have been telling me too. I think it’s been an adjustment for me too, just with the pace of the game, the athleticism. It’s a different game compared to college. It took some time to get used to it, but I’m more comfortable with it now.”
For the summer, Karaban is averaging 7.0 points and 4.3 rebounds.
The Kings have one more game guaranteed in this Summer League, as they’ll take on former UConn star Liam McNeeley and the Hornets in the consolation bracket opener on Friday (6:30 p.m., Prime Video).
Reed with solid showing
Fellow former Husky Tarris Reed Jr. played in his third game of the Vegas Summer League on Thursday, scoring four points and grabbing seven rebounds while adding three assists and a block. He’s averaging 7.7 points and 8.7 rebounds while shooting 36 percent from the field in Vegas. The Spurs, 3-1 in Summer League, will find out their tournament fate after Thursday’s games.
