Kai Sotto made his long-awaited debut for the Orlando Magic as they resumed their NBA Summer League campaign, but unfortunately suffered an 88-71 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers on Thursday night (Friday, Manila time) at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas.
The 7-foot-3 Filipino center contributed six points on 3-of-7 shooting, along with four rebounds, three blocks, one assist, one turnover, and one foul during his 13 minutes of play for the Magic. Despite his efforts, the team’s winless streak continued, as they now hold an 0-4 record in the tournament.
Sotto entered the game at the beginning of the second quarter, attempting a shot from the perimeter, which unfortunately did not go in. However, he concluded his five-minute stint with an impressive block against the Trail Blazers’ Shaedon Sharpe.
The Filipino center made a comeback late in the third quarter, scoring on a putback and following it up with a successful perimeter jumper from 10 feet. Additionally, he contributed two blocks, one of which was against a driving Rayan Rupert of the Portland Trail Blazers.
Sotto was subbed back in for the final two minutes, but unfortunately missed an alley-oop dunk attempt from his teammate Tyger Campbell. However, he redeemed himself by scoring his final basket with a two-foot dunk.
It marked the inaugural appearance of the Gilas Pilipinas center in the week-long competition, as he had been benched by the Orlando Magic’s Summer League head coach Dylan Murphy in the first three games.
Filipino fans, who had eagerly anticipated Sotto’s appearance since last Sunday, were jubilant and pleased with his solid performance against the Trail Blazers.
The game against the Portland Trail Blazers was initially expected to mark the end of the Orlando Magic’s NBA Summer League campaign. However, the league has scheduled a final game for the Magic against the Boston Celtics on Saturday afternoon (3:30 am Sunday morning, Manila time).
The Celtics currently hold a 1-3 record after securing a surprising victory over their arch-rivals, the Los Angeles Lakers, last Wednesday.
The upcoming game will provide Sotto with a valuable opportunity to again showcase his talent in the summer league.
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