LAS VEGAS — University of Florida product Scottie Wilbekin scored 19 points, while JaKarr Sampson added 13, but the Sixers lost to the Boston Celtics, 85-76, Sunday night in Las Vegas Summer League action at the Thomas & Mack Center.
No. 3 overall pick Jahlil Okafor sat out the game for rest (see story). Along with Okafor, J.P. Tokoto, Jordan McRae, T.J. McConnell and Nik Stauskas did not play. Stauskas was in attendance, but is dealing with a minor ankle injury.
The Sixers fell to 0-2 in the Las Vegas Summer League and 1-5 overall in summer league play. Boston is now 2-0 in Las Vegas.
Las Vegas native Pierre Jackson had nine points for the Sixers.
Not enough
After trailing since the first quarter, the Sixers made a fourth-quarter run, cutting the deficit to 70-68 with 3:58 left. The Celtics finished the game on a 15-8 run. Wilbekin, who was 6 of 13 from the field and 4 for 8 from three, converted a four-point play with 24 seconds left in the game.
More about Wilbekin
This past season, Wilbekin, a 6-foot-2 guard, played 32 games for Cairns Taipans of the Australian National Basketball League in 2014-15. He averaged 15.2 points and 4.3 assists per game in Australia. Wilbekin, who played all four years at Florida collegiately, played five games for Orlando’s summer league team last year.
Game of runs
The Sixers jumped out to a 9-3 lead before Boston took the advantage for good at 20-19 with 39 seconds left in the first quarter. Boston built its halftime lead to 40-36.
NBA
After the Celtics expanded the lead to eight early in the third, the Sixers got no closer than five in the period as Boston led 63-48 at one point late in the stanza.
Terry Rozier, drafted 16th overall out of Louisville in June, led Boston with 22 points, going 12 of 13 from the foul line.
Inside the box score
• The Celtics shot 27 of 32 from the free-throw line, while the Sixers went 16 of 20.
• Sixers big man Arsalan Kazemi grabbed 13 rebounds.
• Guard R.J. Hunter, whom the Celtics drafted 28th overall, had 21 points on 5 of 15 shooting, including 3 of 11 from three.
Zack’s numbers
He might be a long shot, but La Salle product Steve Zack started at center and is hoping to latch on with the Sixers. He finished with eight points, eight rebounds and three blocks in 20-plus minutes. Zack had seven first-quarter points, and could have added to that but missed a dunk late in the period. He finished 3 of 10 from the field and 2 of 4 from the free-throw line.
Seemed like family and friends
After playing in front nearly 10,000 Saturday against the nearby and popular Los Angeles Lakers, there was a sparse crowd of less than 1,000 Sunday night to see the Sixers and Celtics. It didn’t help it was the last game of the day and many folks either headed home — or if vacationing — to the Las Vegas Strip.
Up next
The Sixers play the Knicks Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. After that game, the teams will be seeded. The No. 9 through 24 seeds will play Wednesday. The top eight seeds will have a bye in a tournament-style and elimination format and play Thursday. Losers from Wednesday’s games will play Friday in their final appearance. The quarterfinals are Saturday, semifinals Sunday, and championship game Monday.
Summer league tiebreakers
If teams are tied in the standings — and it will happen with nearly all teams — points for winning quarters are the first tiebreaker. Right now, the Sixers have two quarter points. The second tiebreaker is point differential. The Sixers' differential is minus-17.