He's Gone Off Against The Knicks, Hawks And Trail Blazers; What Will He Do Against The Thunder Who Shut Down Pistons' Cade Cunningham But Couldn't Contain Warriors' Moses Moody?
Chris Duarte has started NBA Summer League with a bang.
On Saturday, Duarte and the Pacers will face the Oklahoma City Thunder and look for their second straight win after beating the Portland Trail Blazers in their last game.
Meanwhile, the Thunder are coming off of a loss to the Golden State Warriors.
The Thunder did an excellent job of shutting down the number one overall pick Cade Cunningham of the Detroit Pistons on August 8. They held the former Oklahoma State star to just 12 points on less than 30% shooting from the field.
However, in their last game against the Warriors, the Thunder allowed the 14th overall pick, Moses Moody, to score 22 points on over 57% shooting from the field.
Which Thunder defense will show up against the red-hot Duarte?
The 13th overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft out of the University of Oregon has a stellar performance in each of the Pacers first three games.
In his debut against the New York Knicks, he put up 14 points, two steals and two blocks.
In the second game against the Atlanta Hawks, he went off for 21 points and seven rebounds.
In the most recent game against the Portland Trail Blazers (which was also their first win), he had 19 points, six assists, four steals and four blocks.
The Thunder will have their hands full with Duarte, and the game should be a fun one to watch.
Tip-off for the game is set for 6:00 P.M. Eastern Time on ESPN 2.
