Sacramento Kings Are NBA Summer League Champs After Rout of Boston Celtics; Louis King Named MVP

(Photo : Ethan Miller/Getty Images)) LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - Davion Mitchell of the Sacramento Kings receives treatment on the sideline before checking back into a game against the Charlotte Hornets during the 2021 NBA Summer League at the Thomas & Mack Center on August 9, 2021 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The Sacramento Kings can call themselves champions at last after winning the 2021 Summer League title on Tuesday. The Kings won the championship in style, crushing the Boston Celtics, 100-67, in Las Vegas to capture their second Summer League crown. They emerged victorious in this event back in 2014, making them the first team to win the Summer League tournament multiple times.

Starring for Sacramento in the championship game was Louis King. He recorded 21 points and five steals against the Celtics to take home MVP honors. King shot 8 of 18 from the field, including 4 of 8 from beyond the arc against Boston, a performance he hopes will help land him a spot in the NBA. King has spent the past two seasons in the G League after going undrafted in 2019 out of Oregon.

Three other players scored in double figures for the Kings, Jahmi'us Ramsey, Matt Coleman III, and Ade Murkey. Ramsey scored 16 points, while Coleman III and Murkey had 14 and 10 points, respectively.

Davion Mitchell steals show with clutch defensive performance

Another guy who stole the show for the Kings was rookie Davion Mitchell. The No. 9 overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft scored nine points and dished out seven assists in the championship game. It was his play, however, on the defensive end that took the plaudits as he shut down Celtics gunner Payton Pritchard.

Pritchard recently scored 92 points in a Pro-Am game in Portland but found the going difficult against Mitchell, scoring just six points in 31 minutes of action. He shot just 3 of 9 from the floor and missed all six of his three-point attempts.

That will be music to Luke Walton's ears as the Kings drafted Mitchell to address their woeful defense. Sacramento was third-worst in the league in scoring defense last season, allowing 117.4 points per game.

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Sacramento Kings record come-from-behind win to stun Boston Celtics

The Celtics actually started out strongly in this contest, storming to a 14-4 advantage behind the excellent play of Aaron Nesmith, who quickly scored eight points. The Kings battled back, though, finishing the first quarter on a 20-6 run to take a four-point lead.

The Kings created separation in the third quarter, outscoring the Celtics 26-13 to build a 70-49 edge heading into the payoff period. The Kings pushed the pace in this contest, and that strategy paid dividends, outscoring the Celtics in fast breakpoints, 24-4. The Kings finished their campaign undefeated with the victory, ending the tournament with an immaculate 5-0 slate.

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