The Sixers notched their first summer win of 2025 on Tuesday night thanks largely to Judah Mintz.
They earned a 91-90 victory over the Grizzlies to wrap up their Salt Lake City summer league at 1-2.
Mintz starred, tallying 26 points on 9-for-15 shooting, three assists and three steals. Tyler Burton’s 23 points led Memphis.
The Sixers were without VJ Edgecombe (left thumb contusion), Adem Bona (rest) and Alex Reese (Achilles soreness).
The team’s first game in the Las Vegas summer league is scheduled for Thursday night vs. the Spurs. Here are observations on the Sixers’ win Tuesday:
Big-time Sallis slam
Jalen Slawson provided an early highlight with a pump fake, drive and slam.
Hunter Sallis hammered in a huge dunk late in the first quarter, too. He sliced through the lane and jammed in a one-handed flush over 6-foot-10 Ante Brzovic.
Sallis maintained his momentum with a nice stretch in the second quarter that included a wing three-pointer. As his college credentials indicate — 18.3 points per game last year at Wake Forest — Sallis is a multi-dimensional scorer. He recorded 11 points vs. the Grizzlies on 4-for-9 shooting, two assists and two rebounds.
Outside shooting will be an obvious area to monitor after Sallis shot just 27.7 percent from three-point range as a senior. He said at the Sixers’ summer league minicamp last week that he’s “really confident in how I’m shooting the ball right now” and doesn’t “think there’s too much to worry about.”
Mintz shines
The Sixers kept the same starting backcourt of Mintz and Jalen Hood-Schifino (seven points, seven assists).
Mintz’s shiftiness popped again. He had a tricky and-one leaner during an extended Sixers run in the second period. The 6-foot-3 guard’s fakes, footwork and body control enable him to do damage in and around the paint.
Mintz is truly excellent at drawing free throws, which helped him post 21.2 points per game last G League regular season for the Delaware Blue Coats. The Syracuse product was among the top players at getting to the foul line in Salt Lake City, going 21 for 23 over the Sixers’ three games.
Sixers sweat out a win
Justin Edwards sunk a three on his first shot. The second-year wing had his most efficient game in Utah, scoring 15 points on 6-for-11 shooting.
However, Edwards was scoreless in the fourth quarter and Memphis made a comeback surge.
Johni Broome (eight points, 12 rebounds) fell to 0 for 5 from three-point range with a late miss that thudded off the backboard. Burton hit a three with a little over a minute remaining to give the Grizzlies an 87-86 lead.
Mintz then delivered down the stretch, banking in a tough runner and scoring a clutch and-one layup with 8.2 seconds left. He was easily the best player on the court Tuesday night.
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