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Duke in the NBA: Giles Stars as Lone Duke Big in Kings Frontcourt

By Kevin Connelly

DURHAM, NC - JANUARY 04: Quinton Stephens #12 of the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets battles Matt Jones #13 and Harry Giles #1 of the Duke Blue Devils for a rebound during the game at Cameron Indoor Stadium on January 4, 2017 in Durham, North Carolina. Duke won 110-57. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images)
DURHAM, NC - JANUARY 04: Quinton Stephens #12 of the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets battles Matt Jones #13 and Harry Giles #1 of the Duke Blue Devils for a rebound during the game at Cameron Indoor Stadium on January 4, 2017 in Durham, North Carolina. Duke won 110-57. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images) /
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It was time for Harry Giles to shine in the Las Vegas Summer League due to the injury of Marvin Bagley III and Giles delivered for the Sacramento Kings.

Marvin Bagley III was sitting out due to a groin/hip flexor injury that he will require an MRI on Monday, so Harry Giles was the lone former Duke big man down low for the Sacramento Kings Summer League team and he took advantage of the opportunity.

Giles was able to score eight points in fourteen minutes as the starting center for the Kings as they fell to the Los Angeles Clippers Summer League team 88-78.

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The Kings rookie, two years removed from Duke due to recovery from his knee injury, made four of his nine shots, missing his only attempt from three-point territory.

In addition to his eight points, Giles also notched four rebounds. Giles did not play in the second half of the Kings loss, but he was on the bench cheering on his teammates.

Giles played in his first game since the 2017 NCAA Tournament last week at the California Classic and played in all three games in Sacramento and in the Kings lone game in the Las Vegas Summer League in addition to the first half of this game. Keeping Giles healthy is a majority priority for the Sacramento Kings.

However, despite Bagley’s injury, Giles was not the only former Duke Blue Devil to play for the Kings on Sunday night as Giles’ teammate at Duke for one season, Matt Jones also saw action for the Kings Summer League team.

Jones did not play in the Kings loss in their opening game at the Las Vegas Summer League, but in this game he saw twelve minutes, scoring three points, making one of his three shot attempts, missing his only three-point attempt and going one for two at the free throw line.

As always, Jones was very active on the defensive end stifling his opponents, leading to one rebound and one steal.

It remains to be seen whether Giles will play in the Kings next Las Vegas Summer League game on Tuesday evening against the Memphis Grizzlies Summer League team at 6:30 pm ET on ESPN2. Regardless of the result of Bagley’s MRI, he is considered doubtful for the game, so Matt Jones could be the lone former Blue Devil suiting up for the Kings on Tuesday.

The health of Bagley and Giles are the most important to the Kings and due to the time of the year and the youth of both players, they will take every precautionary measure to make sure both players are healthy for training camp and the beginning of the regular season.

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