2021 NBA Summer League: What to watch for in Summer League Championship and final day

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Kyle Irving
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• 6 min read
Payton Pritchard, Boston Celtics, Davion Mitchell, Sacramenton Kings, Summer League Championship.jpeg

The final day of the 2021 NBA Summer League in Las Vegas is here.

In the past, there was a single-elimination playoff bracket that included every team participating to decide an outright Summer League champion. This year, only the two teams with the best records will have the opportunity to compete for the title, and it came down to a tiebreaker to decide the matchup.

The Boston Celtics (+21.0 point differential), Sacramento Kings (+13.8), Minnesota Timberwolves (+12.8) and New Orleans Pelicans (+11.5) all finished 4-0, but the Celtics and Kings will face off in the title game because of point differential.

The Kings just edged out the Timberwolves by one point to earn the final spot, while the Celtics locked up a spot with the largest winning margin.

With that being said, there are still six other games prior to the championship matchup, which will serve as the final game of the day.

Take a look at a few things to watch for on the last day of Summer League.

Summer League scoring title up for grabs

When the Brooklyn Nets take on the Toronto Raptors at 5:30 p.m. ET, you'll get to see No. 27 overall pick Cam Thomas, who currently leads all scorers with 27.0 points per game. He scored 19 points in his NBA debut and has only improved from there, going for 22 points in his second game, followed by a 31-point game and, most recently, a 36-point game.

Thomas was a known prolific scorer heading into the 2021 NBA Draft and it hasn't taken him long to prove the strongest area of his game, dominating in Summer League.

Trailing him is Philadelphia 76ers second-year guard Tyrese Maxey, who is averaging 26.0 points per game. Maxey will not be playing for the 76ers in their matchup against the Utah Jazz, as the standout scorer has returned home to Texas to coach a youth camp, something that was pre-approved by the franchise.

Maxey went for 31 points in his final Summer League game, building on what was a strong rookie campaign last season.

Can Thomas get to 23 points against the Raptors to take home the Summer League scoring title?

Last chance to see lottery picks: Scottie Barnes, Jonathan Kuminga, Moses Moody

To be clear upfront, it is unknown if these lottery picks will be participating in their team's final games.

As mentioned, the Raptors take on the Nets in their last contest, which could be a fun duel between Thomas and second-year guard Malachi Flynn, if Barnes doesn't play.

The No. 4 overall pick has appeared in all four games for Toronto thus far, with a few very strong showings that displayed his ability to impact the game in different ways. Barnes' most recent outing may have been his most impressive, going for 23 points, five rebounds, four assists, two blocks and one steal, scoring 18 of those points to lead the charge of a second-half comeback win over the Charlotte Hornets.

As for the Golden State Warriors' lottery pick tandem of Kuminga and Moody, they'll take on the Los Angeles Lakers at 7 p.m. ET in their final Summer League action.

These two players each played in one exhibition at the California Classic Summer League. Kuminga has appeared in all four contests in Vegas, while Moody has played in three of the four games. It's very possible these two are given the night off, but if they're in action and you haven't seen them yet, it's worth your time.

The Warriors look like they have struck gold with these two picks, as both players have looked sharp in all summer. Kuminga is averaging 17.3 points, 6.3 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.5 steals per game while flashing his ridiculous athleticism on plays like this dunk below.

Moody is also averaging 17.0 points per game, knocking down 3s at a 40.0 percent clip on a high volume of 6.7 attempts per game, proving to be one of the elite shooters in this year's draft class.

Catch these lottery picks in action one last time before the wait to the start of the regular season.

Summer League Championship: Celtics vs. Kings

A Summer League champion will be crowned and it may come down to one marquee matchup to decide the outcome.

If you're going to tune into this title game, which is set for 9 p.m. ET, get ready for a battle between Celtics' second-year guard Payton Pritchard and Kings' No. 9 overall pick Davion Mitchell.

Pritchard has been one of the most prolific offensive threats in Vegas this year, averaging 20.3 points and a Summer League-high 8.7 assists per game. What's even more impressive is the efficiency with which he is scoring, shooting 51.4 percent from the field and a jaw-dropping 57.7 percent from 3-point range on 8.7 (!) attempts per game.

He took one game off to go drop 92 points in a Portland Pro-Am, but will be back for the championship game to try and lead the Celtics to the title.

And he'll have his hands full in trying to do so because Mitchell has been one of the fiercest on-ball defenders in the Summer League. His effort and energy are unmatched on that end of the floor, putting opponents in a torture chamber on the defensive end.

It will be a blast to watch him and Pritchard go at it, giving you at least one good reason to tune into the Vegas Summer League finale.

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Kyle Irving Photo
Kyle Irving

Kyle Irving is an NBA content producer for The Sporting News.