The Portland Trail Blazers won the 2K23 Summer League championship on Sunday, defeating the New York Knicks 85-77 after two weeks of NBA Summer League action. Portland made its third appearance in the championship game since 2017. Their first title came in 2018. This is their second championship since then.

Portland went 4-1 in Las Vegas, led by second-year guard Brandon Williams. He led Portland with 22 points, five assists, and three rebounds. While Trendon Watford finished with 19 points, seven rebounds, and three steals, earning him unanimous game MVP honors. Off the bench, Jabari Walker finished with 14 points and 11 rebounds.

The Knicks were led by Quentin Grimes, who had 19 points, three rebounds, and three assists. Miles McBride chipped in 17 points, six rebounds, and three assists. Grimes had a strong Summer League performance, averaging 23.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 4.3 assists entering the championship game.

Final of Las Vegas Summer League

The Trail Blazers led by 14 points at the end of the third quarter and appeared to be on their way to winning the Las Vegas Summer League Championship. However, the Knicks went on a run to start the fourth quarter, cutting Portland’s lead to seven points before calling a timeout. The Knicks’ trio scorers, Grimes, McBride and Jericho Sims, were starting to turn the tide in their favor.

The Blazers were fortunate because the trio’s attempt to win the final game was ineffective. Grimes, in particular, struggled to find his rhythm, shooting 31.3 percent from the field and 2 of 11 from three-point range. He entered the championship game as one of the best players in Summer League, but Portland forced him to take difficult shots, resulting in an inefficient night for the young guard.

Nonetheless, Grimes, McBride, and Jericho Sims’ combined final performance demonstrated why this team has been so successful on offense throughout the Summer League. Although, that was not enough to defeat Portland with Watford in it.

Watford then re-entered the game, scoring seven points and dishing out an assist to push Portland’s lead to 14 points. It capped off an already outstanding performance by the undrafted forward, who was dominant on both ends of the floor. Watford was forceful on defence, finishing with three steals, and contributed to the Knicks scoring less than 100 points for the first time in Summer League play.

“They made a run in I think the late third or the fourth,” Watford said when recalling taking the lead in the fourth minute of the game. “We stuck together and when we came back in, we turned it up and I’m just proud of all these guys man.” he added.

NBA’s Las Vegas Summer League

The stakes for the Las Vegas Summer League championship game in 2022 are higher than in previous years. Summer League, which began in 2013, has grown in popularity in recent years, with the winning team accepting trophies and t-shirts. This year, members of the winning team will receive championship rings. The ring is emblazoned with the inscription “2022 NBA Summer League Champions,” as well as the official Summer League logo and an ample supply of diamonds.

The NBA’s Las Vegas Summer League was among the events on the league’s calendar, which included two mini-tournaments in San Francisco and Salt Lake City, as well as the main event in Sin City with all 30 teams. All of the summer basketball action gave fans the first chance to see this year’s top draft picks, such as Paolo Banchero, Chet Holmgren, and Jabari Smith, as well as young talent on the periphery who were able to show off their skills.

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