{"id":779713,"date":"2026-07-06T15:03:36","date_gmt":"2026-07-06T15:03:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/779713\/"},"modified":"2026-07-06T15:03:36","modified_gmt":"2026-07-06T15:03:36","slug":"starting-5-summer-league-rolls-on-in-california-utah","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/779713\/","title":{"rendered":"Starting 5: Summer League rolls on in California, Utah"},"content":{"rendered":"<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-caption-text\">With the Lakers and Heat headed to sudden death overtime at the 2026 Cali Classic, Anton Watson connects on the winning follow.<\/p>\n<p>Summer hoops is heating up, and Warriors rookie Yaxel Lendeborg is balling in the Bay.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/1783350203_706_original.gif\" alt=\"Yaxel Lendeborg\" width=\"600\" height=\"600\"\/><\/p>\n<p>5 STORIES IN TODAY\u2019S EDITION \ud83c\udfc0<\/p>\n<p>Sunday In Cali: Lendeborg &amp; Carr stay hot, Kings win again, Nets dub in California Classic<\/p>\n<p>Friday &amp; Saturday Rewind: Peterson, Boozer, Acuff Jr. and more rookies shine in Cali &amp; Salt Lake City<\/p>\n<p>Monday Matchups: A potential top-3 pick showdown in Peterson vs. Boozer, and Cali concludes<\/p>\n<p>Free Agency Catchup: A look at this weekend\u2019s latest reports before deals can become official today<\/p>\n<p>FIBA World Cup Qualifiers: SGA, Edgecombe, Lauri and more NBA stars deliver<\/p>\n<p>BUT FIRST \u2026 \u23f0<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/1783350203_167_original.jpg\" alt=\"Tonight's schedule\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Summer League action continues tonight with <a style=\"text-decoration: underline;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/2026-summer-league-california-schedule?lid=h524pdwj4uoi\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">four California Classic games<\/a> across Prime, ESPNU, ESPN+ and NBA TV, plus <a style=\"text-decoration: underline;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/2026-summer-league-slc-schedule?lid=7qc0lbuajf43\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">two Salt Lake City Summer League games<\/a> on Prime &amp; ESPN. | <a style=\"text-decoration: underline;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/summer-league\/2026?lid=ryfam1lmt4r3\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Summer League Hub<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Deals Become Official: NBA teams can officially begin signing free agents today at 12:01 p.m. ET. Looking for the latest offseason news and reports in one place? The <a style=\"text-decoration: underline;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/freeagents\/2026?lid=ac3csqflylqn\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Free Agency Hub<\/a> has you covered.<\/p>\n<p>Vegas Next: The <a style=\"text-decoration: underline;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/2026-summer-league-vegas-schedule?lid=5oetzx9cub48\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">NBA Summer League<\/a> from Las Vegas \u2013 featuring all 30 NBA teams \u2013 tips off Thursday, with seven matchups. The day also features the <a style=\"text-decoration: underline;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/news\/the-nba-creator-cup-returns-sixth-edition?lid=fnaj76emcwsp\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">PlayStation NBA Creator Cup<\/a>, where some of the biggest names in basketball and digital culture will square off at The Pavilion at UNLV (8:30 PT).<\/p>\n<p>1. SUNDAY AT THE CALIFORNIA CLASSIC<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/1783350206_634_original.gif\" alt=\"Anton Watson\" width=\"600\" height=\"600\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Summer hoops is officially underway, with the California Classic and Salt Lake City Summer League tipping off this weekend.<\/p>\n<p>With Salt Lake City off Sunday, the Cali Classic took center stage, featuring another strong day from the rookie class and a double-overtime thriller. | <a style=\"text-decoration: underline;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/2026-summer-league-california-standings?lid=dp3zsqhp7p49\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">California Classic Standings<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Lakers 93, Heat 91 (2OT): After trading buckets in the first overtime, fans in San Francisco got a sudden-death double OT, where two-year vet Anton Watson (12 pts, 10 reb) <a style=\"text-decoration: underline;\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/NBA\/status\/2073902800719806801?lid=mf061oa4bd0o\" rel=\"nofollow\">tipped in the game-winner<\/a> for the Lakers, improving Los Angeles to 1-1. | <a style=\"text-decoration: underline;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/game\/mia-vs-lal-1322600006?lid=gxj88lvtlq7a\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Recap<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Rook Cooks: After a strong Friday showing (see Section 2), the Lakers\u2019 No. 24 overall pick, Cameron Carr, delivered again, dropping a <a style=\"text-decoration: underline;\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/NBA\/status\/2073905808404783353?lid=eedlvq62q6wo\" rel=\"nofollow\">game-high 26 points<\/a> (4 3s) along with 8 boards<\/p>\n<p>Warriors Gold 98, Spurs 69: After a perfect night from the field on Friday, Golden State\u2019s No. 11 overall pick, Yaxel Lendeborg, put on a two-way clinic on Sunday (11 pts, 8 reb, 2 ast, 1 stl, 2 blk), propelling Warriors Gold past the Spurs to move to 2-0. | <a style=\"text-decoration: underline;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/game\/sas-vs-gwg-1322600008?lid=8uexy56jmn5u\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Recap<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Taking Over: Lendeborg, who helped lead Michigan to a national title in April, got up for <a style=\"text-decoration: underline;\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/NBA\/status\/2073911898441973851?lid=t2h23ss0dgpl\" rel=\"nofollow\">back-to-back blocks<\/a> in the 1st quarter and went 3-of-5 from deep \u2013 finishing the weekend with seven 3s in two games<br \/>\nSky High: Golden State\u2019s No. 54 pick, Lajae Jones, also showed off his hops with this <a style=\"text-decoration: underline;\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/NBA\/status\/2073913062860447770?lid=ztkc0636lawc\" rel=\"nofollow\">big-time alley-oop jam<\/a><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/1783350207_772_original.jpg\" alt=\"Yaxel Lendeborg, Marquel Sutton\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Kings 91, Warriors Blue 85: Down by 10 points at halftime, the Kings held Warriors Blue to 33 2nd-half points to snag the W late. | <a style=\"text-decoration: underline;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/game\/gwb-vs-sac-1322600007?lid=6qn3b4kafw2u\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Recap<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Comeback Complete: Marquel Sutton (16 pts, 8 reb) <a style=\"text-decoration: underline;\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/NBA\/status\/2073903680500224078?s=20&amp;lid=1zudyy2re136\" rel=\"nofollow\">beat the shot clock<\/a> from deep with 2:30 to go for the game\u2019s only lead change, as the Kings took \u2013 and kept \u2013 their first lead, 84-81<\/p>\n<p>Nets 89, Bucks 69: Ben Humrichous\u2019 (15 pts, 8 reb, 2 stl) fall-away, <a style=\"text-decoration: underline;\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/NBA\/status\/2073853096082448761?s=20&amp;lid=h95c56fk5w1v\" rel=\"nofollow\">buzzer-beater 3<\/a> over two Bucks defenders helped him pace the Nets\u2019 scoring, along with Hunter Sallis (15 pts, 6 reb, 6 ast, 2 blk), whose strong <a style=\"text-decoration: underline;\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/NBA\/status\/2073867241397891192?s=20&amp;lid=jmw2606d5oml\" rel=\"nofollow\">two-way play<\/a> propelled Brooklyn. | <a style=\"text-decoration: underline;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/game\/bkn-vs-mil-1322600005?lid=79a6uqcfpj2o\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Recap<\/a><\/p>\n<p>2. FRIDAY &amp; SATURDAY REWIND: ROOKIES SHINE<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/1783350209_172_original.gif\" alt=\"Darryn Peterson\" width=\"600\" height=\"600\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Friday and Saturday offered the first glimpse of this year\u2019s rookie class, with Lottery picks and newcomers making an immediate impact across the Cali Classic and Salt Lake City Summer League \u2013 including two top-three picks.<\/p>\n<p>SLC (Sat) | Jazz 103, Hawks 102 (OT): No. 2 pick Darryn Peterson <a style=\"text-decoration: underline;\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/NBA\/status\/2073545558778843475?lid=o01xkdz2i29h\" rel=\"nofollow\">put on a show<\/a> in his Summer League debut, dropping a game-high 28 points while shooting 4-of-7 from 3 to lead the Jazz past Kingston Flemings (14 pts, 9 ast, 4 stl) and the Hawks in OT. | <a style=\"text-decoration: underline;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/game\/atl-vs-uta-1622600002?lid=watqmomfiiao\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Recap<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Clutch-Time Delivery: Peterson scored 10 points in the 4th quarter and overtime, capped by a <a style=\"text-decoration: underline;\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/NBA\/status\/2073542171085389912?lid=hxhcs19rgjjk\" rel=\"nofollow\">tie-breaking 3 with 1:16 left<\/a> in OT to put Utah up for good<br \/>\nBoth Ends: Peterson also tallied 5 boards and 2 blocks, backing up his pre-Summer League goal of <a style=\"text-decoration: underline;\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/NBA\/status\/2070942089362178234?lid=ycqlxlmfnu6y\" rel=\"nofollow\">showcasing his two-way impact<\/a><br \/>\nJazz Boosts: Cody Williams added 17 points for Utah, while Justin Harmon sealed the win with a last-second dagger and-one<br \/>\nFlemings Fuel: Flemings, this year\u2019s No. 8 overall pick, finished with a <a style=\"text-decoration: underline;\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/NBA\/status\/2073550905451151781?lid=mr586ac9icwe\" rel=\"nofollow\">game-high in both assists and steals<\/a><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/1783350210_855_original.jpg\" alt=\"Cameron Boozer\"\/><\/p>\n<p>SLC (Sat) | Grizzlies 111, Thunder 74: In the Salt Lake City opener on Saturday, Memphis\u2019 No. 2 overall pick, Cameron Boozer, turned in an <a style=\"text-decoration: underline;\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/NBA\/status\/2073513461473001890?lid=muq6w27y9xqq\" rel=\"nofollow\">efficient 15 points on 7-of-11 shooting<\/a>, while adding 5 boards and 3 assists in a win over OKC. | <a style=\"text-decoration: underline;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/game\/mem-vs-okc-1622600001?lid=otc5m7xz7ul9\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Recap<\/a><\/p>\n<p>2nd-Half Clinic: Acuff Jr. \u2013 the No. 7 overall pick who won SEC Player of the Year as a freshman \u2013 was in his bag in the 2nd half, scoring 16 with a handful of highlight buckets<\/p>\n<p>Cali Classic (Sat) | Kings 79, Nets 76: That same night in the California Classic, Darius Acuff Jr. <a style=\"text-decoration: underline;\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/NBA\/status\/2073562133598720096?lid=vtabg2vkbknz\" rel=\"nofollow\">dazzled with 25 points<\/a> and 4 dimes, while sophomore Nique Clifford added 16 to power Sacramento past Egor D\u00ebmin (23 pts, 7 reb) and the Nets. | <a style=\"text-decoration: underline;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/game\/bkn-vs-sac-1322600004?lid=0vonxl54cucu\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Recap<\/a><\/p>\n<p>2nd-Half Clinic: Acuff Jr. \u2013 the No. 7 overall pick who won SEC Player of the Year as a freshman \u2013 was in his bag in the 2nd half, scoring 16 with a handful of highlight buckets<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/1783350212_858_original.gif\" alt=\"Darius Acuff Jr.\" width=\"600\" height=\"600\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Cali Classic (Fri) | Warriors Gold 104, Lakers 72: In the Cali Classic on Friday, Golden State\u2019s Yaxel Lendeborg went 6-of-6 from the field and 4-of-4 from 3 en route to <a style=\"text-decoration: underline;\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/NBA\/status\/2073439190168256872?lid=bju5ngpqtgty\" rel=\"nofollow\">19 points, 5 boards and 6 dimes<\/a> as Warriors Gold beat the Lakers. | <a style=\"text-decoration: underline;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/game\/lal-vs-gwg-1322600002?lid=j4iph2bhl44v\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Recap<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Red-Hot Rooks: Los Angeles\u2019 Cameron Carr, the No. 24 overall pick, matched Lendeborg with a game-high <a style=\"text-decoration: underline;\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/NBA\/status\/2073271356674994557?lid=cooorslq5kho\" rel=\"nofollow\">19 points on 5 triples<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Cali Classic (Fri) | Heat 88, Spurs 87: The Summer League circuit started with a down-to-the-wire finish at the Cali Classic as Miami edged San Antonio behind a late defensive stand and 21 points apiece from Jahmir Young and rookie Ryan Conwell. | <a style=\"text-decoration: underline;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/game\/mia-vs-sas-1322600001?lid=k2kedj7n39xy\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Recap<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Cali Classic (Sat) | Bucks 97, Warriors Blue 83: Brandon Boston Jr. (17 pts) led 11 Milwaukee scorers as the Bucks outlasted RJ Nembhard (15 pts) and Warriors Blue. | <a style=\"text-decoration: underline;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/game\/mil-vs-gwb-1322600003?lid=jqitnzv2d1ea\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Recap<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Standings Check: See the full Cali Classic standings <a style=\"text-decoration: underline;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/2026-summer-league-california-standings?lid=m75ooexb3exv\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">here<\/a>, and the Salt Lake City standings <a style=\"text-decoration: underline;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/2026-summer-league-slc-standings?lid=rpwle1dwbhpe\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">here<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>3. BOOZER VS. PETERSON HEADLINES MONDAY\u2019S ACTION<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/1783350213_388_original.jpg\" alt=\"Darryn Peterson, Cameron Boozer\"\/><\/p>\n<p>After a day off on Sunday, the Salt Lake City Summer League continues tonight with a potential top-three Draft pick showdown.<\/p>\n<p>Following up on their strong summer debuts, Utah\u2019s No. 2 overall pick, Darryn Peterson, and Memphis\u2019 No. 3 overall pick, Cameron Boozer, are slated to go head-to-head (9 ET, ESPN &amp; Prime).<\/p>\n<p>Summer Scoring Leader: Peterson aims to add to his summer-high 28 ppg against a highly-touted defender in Boozer<br \/>\nImmediate Impact: Boozer\u2019s +10 plus\/minus in his Saturday debut was the 3rd-highest among 2026 Lottery picks this weekend<br \/>\nScouts Say: Boozer\u2019s <a style=\"text-decoration: underline;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/draft\/2026\/prospects\/cameron-boozer?lid=fqqdbyv3ylkc\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">advanced passing<\/a> skills help him stack up that plus\/minus, while his polished footwork overpowers on the block. Peterson <a style=\"text-decoration: underline;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/draft\/2026\/prospects\/darryn-peterson?lid=5agsy27zwwrc\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">profiles<\/a> as a skilled shooter and scorer, and a physical, versatile defender<br \/>\nGame Recognizes Game: Peterson picked Boozer as the strongest and best defender of <a style=\"text-decoration: underline;\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/NBA\/status\/2069043979371593753?s=20&amp;lid=jli7oa13de2o\" rel=\"nofollow\">the top-3 picks<\/a>, while Boozer signaled Peterson as the quickest and calmest<br \/>\nElite Showdown: Peterson and Boozer did not face each other as freshmen in college last season, as Peterson was injured for Kansas\u2019 lone matchup with Duke. Monday would mark the first No. 2-vs.-No. 3 pick Summer League showdown since Alex Sarr and Reed Sheppard in 2024<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/1783350213_429_original.jpg\" alt=\"Kingston Flemings, Aday Mara\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Tonight\u2019s Salt Lake City slate tips off with another 2026 Lottery pick pairing, as No. 8 overall pick Kingston Flemings\u2019 Hawks face No. 12 pick Aday Mara\u2019s Thunder (7 ET, ESPN &amp; Prime).<\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, the California Classic concludes tonight, with Yaxel Lendeborg and Darius Acuff Jr. looking to keep their respective squads undefeated, as Warriors Gold (2-0) host the Heat (10 ET, Prime &amp; ESPN+), and the Kings (2-0) face the Bucks (10 ET, Prime &amp; ESPNU).<\/p>\n<p>Another Debut?: Brooklyn has indicated that No. 6 overall pick, Mikel Brown Jr., will get his first taste of Summer League action tonight when the Nets host Warriors Blue (8 ET, Prime &amp; ESPN+)<br \/>\nAlready Dialed In: The Lakers and Spurs tip off the final night in California (7:30 ET, Prime &amp; ESPNU), with Cameron Carr trying to stay hot after 19 and 26-point performances so far<\/p>\n<p>4. ICYMI: FREE AGENCY REPORTS FROM THE WEEKEND<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/1783350214_178_original.jpg\" alt=\"Andre Drummond, Karl-Anthony Towns, Deandre Ayton\"\/><\/p>\n<p>A busy NBA free agency period continued over the weekend, as teams negotiated with available players leading up to signings becoming official later today.<\/p>\n<p>Catch up on some of the latest reported deals:<\/p>\n<p>Reports: Josh Okogie, Jazz agree on 2-year deal<br \/>\nReports: Andre Drummond, Knicks agree on 1-year deal<br \/>\nReports: Wizards agree to acquire Deandre Ayton in trade with Lakers for Jaden Hardy and future Draft picks<br \/>\nReports: Hornets agree to acquire Dorian Finney-Smith and future Draft picks in trade with Houston<br \/>\nReports: Players agreeing to return to their teams include Tari Eason and the Rockets (5 years), Neemias Queta and the Celtics (4 years), Javonte Green and Detroit (1 year) and Jordan Miller and the Clippers (3 years)<br \/>\nReports: Sixers reach two-way deals with Caleb Love &amp; Ryan Rupert<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/1783350215_264_original.jpg\" alt=\"Jaylen Brown, Giannis Antetokounmpo\"\/><\/p>\n<p>At 12:01 p.m. ET, teams may begin officially signing free agents and completing trades. Here are some of the biggest\u00a0reported agreements, ahead of when deals can be finalized today:<\/p>\n<p>Reports: Celtics agree to trade Jaylen Brown to 76ers for Paul George and Draft picks<br \/>\nReports:\u00a0Heat agree to acquire Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bobby Portis in trade with Bucks for Tyler Herro, Kasparas Jaku\u010dionis, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Kel\u2019el Ware, 2026 Draft pick Nate Ament (No. 13) and future Draft picks<br \/>\nReports: Raptors agree to acquire Kawhi Leonard in trade with Clippers for Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick &amp; Draft picks<br \/>\nReports: Wolves agree to acquire LaMelo Ball and Josh Green in trade with Hornets for Naz Reid and Draft picks<br \/>\nReports: Norman Powell, Bulls agree to 2-year deal<br \/>\nReport: Tobias Harris, Spurs agree to 2-year deal<br \/>\nReports: Marcus Smart to Rockets on 2-year deal<\/p>\n<p>Visit the <a style=\"text-decoration: underline;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/freeagents\/2026?lid=g9c8em0ak6i0\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Free Agency Hub<\/a> for all the offseason news, including the latest on LeBron James, who reportedly informed the Lakers that he plans to play for a different team in 2026-27.<\/p>\n<p>5. FIBA WORLD CUP QUALIFIERS: NBA STARS DELIVER\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/1783350215_27_original.jpg\" alt=\"Lauri Markkanen\"\/><\/p>\n<p>While the NBA\u2019s newest generation competes in Summer League, other NBA players are representing their countries in the FIBA 2027 World Cup Qualifiers, which began last week.<\/p>\n<p>And over the weekend, a string of <a style=\"text-decoration: underline;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/news\/nba-players-fiba-world-cup-qualifiers-july-2026?lid=quirrtgh42a8\" target=\"_self\" data-mce-attributes-count=\"1\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">big names showed out<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Shai Being Shai: Back-to-back reigning Kia MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander delivered <a style=\"text-decoration: underline;\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/FIBAWC\/status\/2073212812617204047?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E2073212812617204047%7Ctwgr%5E0aabcda082b3e89ebfa3813e2a84a27f9f532b4e%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nba.com%2Fnews%2Fnba-players-fiba-world-cup-qualifiers-july-2026&amp;lid=xylc84cy3yg8\" rel=\"nofollow\">26 points in 26 minutes<\/a> as Canada cruised by Puerto Rico, 110-84, on July 3<br \/>\nCanada Crew: His standout performance was accompanied by Andrew Nembhard (23 pts), Dillon Brooks (15), Kyshawn George (9) and Nickeil Alexander-Walker (8)<br \/>\nEdgecombe Everywhere: Fresh off a strong rookie season with the 76ers, VJ Edgecombe led the Bahamas with a <a style=\"text-decoration: underline;\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/FIBAWC\/status\/2073225940897824867?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E2073225940897824867%7Ctwgr%5E0aabcda082b3e89ebfa3813e2a84a27f9f532b4e%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nba.com%2Fnews%2Fnba-players-fiba-world-cup-qualifiers-july-2026&amp;lid=fhji9xv0rffe\" rel=\"nofollow\">26-point, 9-rebound, 5-steal game<\/a>\u00a0en route to a 123-74 defeat of Jamaica<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/1783350216_584_original.jpg\" alt=\"Rudy Gobert\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Defending Olympic silver medalist France also went to work on July 3, and featured several names from around the NBA as it eyes the 2027 FIBA Basketball World Cup.<\/p>\n<p>Les Bleus Crew: Bilal Coulibaly, Rudy Gobert, Maxime Raynaud, Zaccharie Risacher and Guerschon Yabusele guided France to an 80-72 triumph over Belgium<br \/>\nThe Leaders: Coulibaly, who just played his third season with the Wizards, had a <a style=\"text-decoration: underline;\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/NBA\/status\/2073135019216761221?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E2073135019216761221%7Ctwgr%5E0aabcda082b3e89ebfa3813e2a84a27f9f532b4e%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nba.com%2Fnews%2Fnba-players-fiba-world-cup-qualifiers-july-2026&amp;lid=cnejylzlfj7f\" rel=\"nofollow\">team-high 13 points<\/a>, while Rudy Gobert had 8 points and 11 rebounds<\/p>\n<p>And that\u2019s not the end of the list. Several other countries looked to their respective roster stars to deliver on the hardwood.<\/p>\n<p>Lauri Heat: The Jazz\u2019s Lauri Markkanen pitched in 23 points for Finland on an <a style=\"text-decoration: underline;\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/NBA\/status\/2073106502898823673?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E2073106502898823673%7Ctwgr%5E0aabcda082b3e89ebfa3813e2a84a27f9f532b4e%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nba.com%2Fnews%2Fnba-players-fiba-world-cup-qualifiers-july-2026&amp;lid=x0ileb88liuc\" rel=\"nofollow\">efficient 7-for-14 shooting<\/a> clip in its 85-77 win over Hungary on July 3<br \/>\nAll-Around Zubac: For Croatia, Pacers center Ivica Zubac <a style=\"text-decoration: underline;\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/NBA\/status\/2073128390610035036?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E2073128390610035036%7Ctwgr%5E0aabcda082b3e89ebfa3813e2a84a27f9f532b4e%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nba.com%2Fnews%2Fnba-players-fiba-world-cup-qualifiers-july-2026&amp;lid=9owz8dogpvw4\" rel=\"nofollow\">went off in just 18 minutes<\/a>, recording 24 points, 11 rebounds and 4 blocks to fuel a 123-50 win vs. Cyprus<\/p>\n<p>Want to share\u00a0Starting\u00a05\u00a0with a friend?\u00a0<a style=\"text-decoration: underline;\" href=\"https:\/\/smart.link\/5whvkem69tw2o?lid=s0uqxe99hte4\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Send them this link<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Shape the Starting 5.\u00a0\u00a0<a style=\"text-decoration: underline;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/news\/mailto:starting5@nba.com?subject=The%20Starting%205&amp;body=[Add%20your%20thoughts%20here...]\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">Email us here<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Don\u2019t have the NBA App? <a style=\"text-decoration: underline;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/app?lid=8a0inx0pf6cg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">Download it here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"With the Lakers and Heat headed to sudden death overtime at the 2026 Cali Classic, Anton Watson connects&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":778378,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3785],"tags":[7,423,6,2885,422,427,3972],"class_list":["post-779713","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-utah-jazz","tag-basketball","tag-jazz","tag-nba","tag-starting-5","tag-utah","tag-utah-jazz","tag-utahjazz"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nba\/116873645979157073","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/779713","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=779713"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/779713\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/778378"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=779713"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=779713"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=779713"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}