5 takeaways from Day 2 of scrimmages in Orlando

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Curry, Giannis, Nurkic

After an exciting and entertaining Day 1 of scrimmage games, Day 2 didn't disappoint. 

All the stars from eight teams took the court, providing plenty of standout performances and storylines to discuss.

Here are a few key observations from the second day of NBA action:

Reigning MVP Giannis shows no rust

After 4.5 months of no action, 2019-20 MVP favourite Giannis Antetokounmpo didn't miss a beat. He was still euro-stepping past defenders for tough layups and poster dunks while also dishing fancy behind-the-head assists. 

In just 21 minutes, the 'Greek Freak' finished with 22 points, four assists, three rebounds, three steals. 

Just like their best player, the Bucks didn't seem to miss a beat either. The team with the league's best record cruised to a 113-92 win against the Spurs.

Oladipo plays, still uncertain about remaining games

At the beginning of the month, Victor Oladipo stated that he would be sitting out the season restart in Orlando. Gradually, that stance changed and he said he would try to play the seeding games but was unsure about any commitment. 

After all that uncertainty regarding his play, Oladipo suited for the team's first scrimmage game against the Portland Trail Blazers and finished with eight points (3-of-10 FGs) and six rebounds in 19 minutes of action. 

"We'll see," he said after the Pacers' 91-88 win. "I'll be reassessing after every game. Nothing definite. We'll see how my body responds after today. Hopefully, I'm able to play on Sunday."

Jusuf Nurkic impresses in return to action

After nearly 16 months on the sidelines, since suffering a gruesome leg injury on March 25th against the Brooklyn Nets, Jusuf Nurkic returned to the NBA floor. 

He impressed in his 20 minutes of action, finishing with 14 points (6-of-10 FGs) and eight rebounds.

"It's been really a journey," Nurkic said postgame. "It's great to be back."

Seth Curry's perfect shooting night

On Day 1 of the scrimmages, it was Duncan Robinson. The red-hot marksman on Day 2 was Seth Curry.

The Mavericks shooting guard started and finished with a game-high 23 points (8-of-8 FGs; 6-of-6 3Ps) on a perfect shooting game in just 15 minutes of action. 

“Every shot I got was something I worked on and something I probably should actually make,” Curry said after the Mavericks won 108-104 against the Los Angeles Lakers. “It wasn’t anything too crazy.

Ayton leads Suns balanced effort in win 

In the day's final game, six Suns players finished in double figures in their 101-88 win over the Utah Jazz.

Second-year big man Deandre Ayton led the Suns' scorers with 13 points, meanwhile, for the Jazz, Donovan Mitchell top scored with 17 points while dishing out four assists in 21 minutes of play.

The views expressed here do not represent those of the NBA or its clubs.

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