76ers down Thunder 102-92 in Summer League opener, Council IV shines

SALT LAKE CITY, UT - The Sixers got their Summer League season started off on a good note with a 102-92 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder, Monday evening at the Delta Center.

Ricky Council IV made his case for a roster spot with the big club, dropping 19 of his stellar 29 points in the fourth period - helping to space the Sixers from the fledgling Thunder.

After a slow start in the first period, the team started clicking in the second and third periods before really taking off in the fourth on offense. The team defense held strong as well as second round pick Adem Bona held his own in the paint.

Bona and first round selection Jared McCain both played their parts in the game as well. McCain came as advertised, launching 15 points in his professional debut. McCain also went 40% from the floor as worked on his lane driving a lot throughout the contest.

Two guys who have gone under the radar to this point were Jeff Dowtin Jr and Keve Aluma who both made their presence felt in different ways. While Dowtin Jr provided a steady veteran presence on the floor and worked some crafty buckets offensively. Aluma, a former Korean basketball pro, worked the paint on both ends with great rebounding, defense, and some clean buckets while also working in transition with some coast-to-coast runs.

With the win, the Sixers SL club moves to 1-0 before taking on the Memphis Grizzlies tomorrow night for a 7:00 PM tipoff that you can see on ESPN.

About the Author

Michael (Mike) Livingston - Owner/Founder/Editor/Senior Writer for Broad Street Sports. I have run BSS since 2019 when I was 12 and since then have used it as my brain child and starting point for all my ventures into sports media. Since creating BSS I have worked with organizations like City of Basketball Love, Philly Sports Digest, DelcoBaseballNow, and PaFootballNews - all while running my school paper and media club at Archbishop John Carroll High School in Radnor, PA. I’ve covered multiple PIAA state championships for basketball and baseball - the 2024 PCL basketball championship, nationally ranked high school lacrosse, district championships for football and had lead two beats all by the time I turned 17.