Ricky Council IV, Keve Aluma and Jeff Dowtin continue impressive summer as Sixers open with win in Vegas

It’s time to get moving. The Summer Sixers opened their first game of the Las Vegas tournament, beating the Detroit Pistons 94-81 on Saturday night.

Ricky Council IV led all scorers with 24 points, shooting 7-of-17 from the field. Keve Aluma continued to shine, finishing with 19 points, eight rebounds, a steal and a block. Jeff Dowtin Jr. finished with 18 points, while Jared McCain finished with 11 points, shooting 4-of-14 from the field and 1-of-6 from three-point range.

Here are some thoughts on the buzzer.

While McCain had another difficult shot, his process for getting these shots wasn’t bad at all. While his difficulty creating separation can sometimes seem concerning, his cunning and strength mitigate that problem somewhat.

His decision-making ability remains one of the most impressive aspects of his game this summer. It always feels like he’s making the right read when attacking a defense out of the pick-and-roll. The Sixers’ offense looks pretty hopeless if McCain or Dowtin don’t take the initiative.

Although Council led the team in scoring, the big contributor in the second half was Aluma. He had another efficient night, scoring his 19 points on 8-of-10 shooting, including a couple of big three-point plays. He made a shot from behind the arc on a pick-and-pop with Dowtin, then hit a reverse layup, getting an and-1 in the process moments later.

Philadelphia has benefited from solid play from its big men all summer. Bona once again filled the stat sheet, going a perfect 4-of-4 from the field for eight points and six rebounds. He was once again excellent defensively as well, as indicated by his five blocks. It was nice to see Bona and Aluma come out and make a shot.

It’s weird to say it was a quiet game for Council, since he was the game’s leading scorer, but he still finished the game with a couple of exciting dunks in transition. He and Dowtin were a really good stabilizing presence for this team. They just looked like professionals on the court.