If you’re the Sixers, the thing you most want to see throughout the Vegas Summer League is the duo of Labaron Philon Jr. and Johni Broome stand out.
So far, so good.
The 2026 first-rounder and 2025 second-rounder were the Summer Sixers’ best players as they narrowly took down the Pacers 100-93 in overtime Saturday. Philon led all scorers with 24 points and added six assists and three rebounds, while Broome finished with 23 points, 11 rebounds and three assists.
Here are a few takeaways from the victory.
First quarter
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More impressive stuff from Philon to start this one. He hit a pair of middies off the pick-and-roll. I’ve been most impressed by his passing reads. He found Saint Thomas with a beautiful pocket pass (Thomas missed the layup).
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I didn’t know much about Dante Maddox Jr. coming in, but he can really shoot it. He nailed a pair of threes in the first quarter. He might deserve a look on an Exhibit 10 deal.
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I still don’t know what to make of Johni Broome. He was productive in the first game and had nine points in the first on Saturday, but the lack of athleticism is so obvious.
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Holy shit … Gerald Ayayi? Don’t know much about him, but he threw down one hell of a dunk. He’s French, he’s 6-foot-5 and apparently capable of some things.
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Matt Rogers with a couple nice cuts and a three in the first. He seems like a smart offensive player. He’s a 6-foot-9 forward from American University. He led the Sixers with 11 points through one.
Second quarter
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Philon continued to show off his extensive bag in the second. He made a gorgeous Euro-step teardrop finish. He then found Taye Fields with another gorgeous bounce pass which led to a foul. He only had one assist in the first half, but his passing skills were front and center.
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Philon and Broome were working the pick-and-roll well. One action led to a Broome layup, the other a Philon three. The Summer Sixers extended the lead to 12.
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Again, I knew nothing about Ayayi before this game, but this kid has some juice. He had another nice finish and was picking up full court, playing Purdue legend Braden Smith tough.
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This was a dominant first half for Philon (13 points, three boards, two assists) and Broome (17 points, seven boards, two assists). It’s exactly what you want to see if you’re the Sixers. They led 59-45 at the half.
Third quarter
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Broome opened the quarter with a nice baseline jumper and then buried a contested three. He’s been awesome since he checked back in for his second stint.
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And another three from Maddox. Shooting is not easy to find. I know he’s 6-foot-2, but he’s the kind of guy you’d probably like to keep around the organization in some capacity.
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Credit to T.J. DiLeo who is coaching the summer league team. These guys are locked in. They’re flying around, playing team basketball and dominating. They built a 20-plus-point lead.
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Man, Philon talks, but he walks the walk, too. He told Chris Haynes there’d be “more cookin’” in the second half during his interview. He buried a three as the Sixers were leaking oil a bit towards the end of the third and then shushed the boisterous Pacers’ veterans who were in attendance. He had 18 through three and the Sixers held a 80-67 lead.
Fourth quarter
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Another trait Philon seems to have is just knowing when his team needs a bucket. It was another slick drive which temporarily kept the lead at double-digits.
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For as good as Broome has been, the lack of athleticism still shows up. He had a particularly rough sequence where he went up weak on a roll, was blocked by Jalen Slawson and then was beat down the other end by Slawson for a transition dunk. The Pacers cut the lead to six.
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Credit where it’s due, Broome shook off a tough stretch and muscled his way to a bucket when the Sixers desperately needed it. Philon followed up with another strong finish.
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It was an ugly, ugly close for the Sixers. Indiana tied things up on Braden Smith free throws with 5.7 second left. The Sixers got the final possession, but Philon stumbled during a dribble handoff with Broome and couldn’t get off a clean look. Summer league overtime. Yay.
Overtime
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Just like in regulation, Broome and Philon came through with buckets — the only two field goals scored in OT for either team.
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