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Duke in the NBA: Giles, Jones Prove Worth in Kings Victory

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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The short slate of games continued on Tuesday at the Las Vegas Summer League, but not before two former Duke Blue Devils made their names known again with big performances.

The Sacramento Kings have had a Duke Blue Devil vibe to them over the past few weeks and there was nothing changed at the Las Vegas Summer League on Tuesday night despite one former Blue Devil sitting out.

Marvin Bagley III is out for the remained of the summer with a pelvic bone bruise but the other former Blue Devil on the Sacramento Kings Summer League excelled in his absence against the Memphis Grizzlies Summer League team.

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Bagley’s frontcourt teammate Harry Giles sat out of the 2nd half on Sunday night so he could rest and he looked very rested as he posted a double-double in the Kings 94-80 win over Memphis.

Giles scored 11 points and grabbed 12 rebounds in 24 minutes on Tuesday night. The former Duke big man made five of his eleven shots and went one for two at the free throw line.

Matt Jones, Giles’ teammate at Duke for one season, had a career game for the Kings on Tuesday as he added 15 points in 19 minutes for the Kings’ winning cause.

Jones was not on the roster for the Kings during the California Classic and did not play in the Kings opening game at the Las Vegas Summer League but he was given an opportunity in the Kings’ second game on Sunday and he thrived, earning him more minutes on Tuesday.

Jones made six of his eight shots, both misses coming from three-point range, but he was able to get one long ball to fall as he also made his only two free throw attempts on the night.

The victory was the Kings first at the Las Vegas Summer League and will soon find out their next game in the tournament phase of the highly anticipated NBA offseason event. Harry Giles and Matt Jones will be major factors if the Kings plan on playing late into the weekend.

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