BSJ Summer League Report: Celtics 111, Bucks 109 - Matt Ryan hits game-winner after bizarre twists

Everything you need to know about the Celtics' summer league matchup against the Milwaukee Bucks, with BSJ insight and analysis:

IN A NUTSHELL

This game was pure Vegas madness. I feel like I should do this recap in SNL Stefon voice when I say this game had everything: referees changing scores, a game-winning 3-point floater, a potential breakout star vying for a roster spot, multiple poster dunks, and Grant Williams trash-talking with Pat Connaughton.  

We got another strong performance from Matt Ryan, Sam Hauser got back on track, Mfiondu Kabengele made a case for a closer look, and Juhann Begarin flexed some athleticism. Also, the Celtics won 111-109.

Box Score

PLUSSES

Boston found some of its shooting touch, getting to 41.3% on 3-pointers in this game. Brodric Thomas joined Ryan and Hauser in the hot shooters circle, with all three combining to shoot 13-26. Jordan Bone also shot 2-3 from deep. 

They also continued to get to the line, playing aggressively and shooting 26 free throws (making 22). 

They finished with 23 assists on the night.

MINUSES

They somehow gave up 39 points in the third quarter. That's a lot for any quarter of any game, but quarters are 10 minutes long in summer league. Yikes. 

The Celtics gave up 24 fastbreak points. Live-ball turnovers are a way of life at summer league because players are always trying to do too much and no one is very good. Obviously, they would like to limit this. 

After a nice defensive play by Brodric Thomas where he poked the ball away, dove for it, then called timeout to keep possession, Boston immediately turned it over on the inbounding play on a five-second call. 

This was summer league for everybody, including the officials and the scorer’s table. They upgraded a foul on Ryan after he bit on a pump fake and fell over a Bucks player, which was one of the most ridiculous flagrant foul calls I’ve ever seen after a review. Then they change the score TWICE during the game, including with less than 12 seconds left, moving Boston from a one-point deficit to a one-point lead. 

NOTABLE PERFORMANCES 

Matt Ryan: His second straight standout game, finishing with 23 points on 7-12 shooting (6-11 3 PT), including the game-winning 3-point floater. 

That was just an outrageous shot, but when you’re on a heater like Ryan is, shots like that tend to fall. He’s making a strong case for a roster spot already with his quick release and ability to hit shots off the dribble. The question is whether he’ll get more than a two-way deal this time. 

He hurt his ankle on that final shot but he said afterward that he was fine. 

Sam Hauser: 4-9 overall from the field and 3-7 from deep. He left the game in the third quarter with a shoulder injury of some kind. He was seen rotating his right arm and shaking it on the sideline. He missed a chunk of the playoffs (not that he would have played anyway) with a right shoulder injury, so it’s unclear if this is related to that. Aside from that, it was good to see the shot fall. He got some cleaner looks this time around and it paid off. 

JD Davison: Very up and down game for him. He was 3-4 from the line, but he didn’t shoot well and he is struggling at the rim. He did have a steal and two blocks, but he also committed 5 fouls mostly on reach-ins and being overly aggressive. He did have 6 assists, but 5 turnovers. 

He has potential, but right now the two-way deal makes a lot of sense for him. 

Brodric Thomas: 14 points on 50% shooting from deep, but also 8 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals, 2 blocks, and no turnovers. He was on a two-way last season, so if he’s going to be back in the mix, then maybe Boston will just fill out the back-end of their roster with one or two of these guys making an impression now?

Juhann Begarin: He struggled a lot early and then he finally hit a 3-pointer, which turned into a sort of B-12 shot for him. Suddenly, he was attacking the rim and dunking all over people. His shot is still very much broken, though. And I’m not going to fall for a bunch of super-athletic plays in summer league. Super athletes can go off against this level of defense. I still say he’s not ready yet. 

Mfiondu Kabengele: The 7 offensive rebounds is impressive, especially when they result in loud highlight dunks. However, offensive rebounding is a tiny bit easier in Vegas because guys are out of position more often. He also hit a 3-pointer. Maybe he gets a camp invite and is one of the guys Boston’s cuts to develop in Maine. 

TOP PLAYS

ONE QUICK TAKE

It’s easy to root for Matt Ryan: The guy was delivering food and working in a cemetery a year ago as he chased his NBA dream. Now he’s here, and just look at how much this moment meant to him. 

How can you not love that passion? I will sit here all day and downplay summer league because I’m looking at it in relation to a basketball team trying to win a championship. So everything I write and talk about is centered around how this helps the Boston Celtics get better. 

But for Ryan, this is a huge deal. The game is meaningless in a lot of ways, but these guys are competitors trying to win. They don’t care about anything but the moment they're in, and Ryan hitting that shot was incredibly meaningful for him. He’s come a long way. He gets a minute to bask in that moment. 

I love that kind of passion. I’d want that energy on my team.