Sixers get first summer league win behind big game from Judah Mintz

The Sixers got on the board in Salt Lake thanks to a 26-point performance from Judah Mintz in a win over the Grizzlies.

A broadcast outage? This summer league is checking all the boxes.

The Sixers wrapped up the Salt Lake City Summer League with a 91-90 win over the Memphis Grizzlies Tuesday night. Due to a loss of power, the feed from the arena was out for nearly the entire third quarter.

Judah Mintz led all scores with 26 points including two big layups to give the Sixers the win. He did so on 9-of-15 shooting along with three assists and three steals.

Justin Edwards finally settled into the summer with 15 points on 6-of-11 shooting. Hunter Sallis shot 4-of-9 from the field for 11 points along with two assists.

Not only did VJ Edgecombe miss his second straight game with a thumb contusion, but Adem Bona (rest) and Alex Reese (achilles soreness) were also out.

Here are some thoughts at the buzzer.

Johni Broome had his first night of the summer where his three-point shot wasn’t falling but the emphasis to get them up is still something he’s working on. He hesitated a bit on one pass swung to him, so he used a stepback to get one off.

He had a solid night on the defensive end and was very helpful on the glass. Both of those are thanks in large part to his feel for rotations. What he may lack in athleticism he has been able to make up with in beating guys to the spot. He finished with 12 rebounds, five of those coming on the offensive end. He also blocked two shots.

Sallis started shaky again as the first rebound he grabbed was quickly fumbled into the hands of a Grizzlie for an easy bucket. He quickly settled in though and looked pretty comfortable running the offense. Able to get into some space, he did get the chance to use some of his physical tools. His best drive was clearly this dunk in the second quarter.

Sallis made one three-pointer on his way to the 11 points he finished with. He was an odd shooter in college, shooting under 30% from deep in three of his four seasons. His form doesn’t look horrific though, and it’s not like he can’t shoot from other areas of the floor. Also in three of his four college seasons he shot 78% or better from the free throw line.

Edwards finally had the shooting night most would have expected of him coming into the summer. He still had some sloppy plays, finishing with three turnovers and probably being responsible for a couple more. He did at least grab two steals back as well as making a team-high three three-pointers.

Mintz continued to take full advantage of the extra on-ball opportunities he’s been getting in the starting lineup. He was the leading scorer all night and hit the game-winning and clinching shots down the stretch.

On top of being pretty effective as a driver, he was fairly active in the backcourt defensively along with Jalen Hood-Schifino. The two of them combined for five steals, and the consistent ability to get out in transition in the second and what we saw of the third quarter was a big reason the Sixers were able to get out to a lead. If not for the main roster’s excess of guards, he’d make a compelling argument for a two-way spot.

The summer Sixers will take the court next when the 2K26 league kicks off in Las Vegas. They’ll take on the San Antonio Spurs Thursday at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN.