UNLV basketball:

Former Rebels enjoy little battles during NBA Summer League

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L.E. Baskow

UNLV guard Patrick McCaw (2) passes the ball to teammate UNLV forward Christian Wood (5) under the basket past the Southern Utah defense during their game at the Thomas & Mack Center on Saturday, December 27, 2014.

Wed, Jul 13, 2016 (2 a.m.)

As he ran down the court after a Philadelphia free throw in the first half, former Rebel Christian Wood hitched up his 76ers shorts. The string worked just fine, but a quick-handed culprit had tugged them down a tad during the free throw.

Consider it a form of friendly hello from former UNLV teammate Pat McCaw.

“Oh yeah, me and him were going through it during the game,” Wood said with a smile on his face. “I love Pat. I’ll probably be having dinner with him after the game.”

McCaw and Wood didn’t see much one-on-one time during their matchup Tuesday at the Las Vegas Summer League, but they each made a big impact. McCaw notched 11 points on 5-of-8 shooting plus three rebounds, three assists and two steals in Golden State’s 85-77 victory.

While he was on the losing side, Wood continued his strong summer showing in an efficient manner. Wood, who went to Findlay Prep for three years before two seasons at UNLV, finished with 22 points on 8-of-12 shooting, with five rebounds, two blocks and three turnovers.

Ever since going undrafted last year, Wood has been working to prove he’s got what it takes to make, and stay in, the NBA. He showed flashes last year between his time with the 76ers and in the Developmental League, but this summer has been closer to the consistency Wood is trying to show.

At the Utah Summer League, which featured only four teams compared to Vegas’ 24, Wood averaged 18.7 points per game on 64.3 percent shooting. He also pulled down six rebounds and a block per game, the result of a concerted offseason effort to improve himself.

“This summer I didn’t take any days off,” Wood said. “I didn’t really go home, just stayed in the gym in Philadelphia.”

Through three games in Las Vegas, it’s Wood, not No. 1 overall pick Ben Simmons, leading Philadelphia in points per game (13) despite playing 11 minutes per game fewer than Simmons. It’s a good place to be for Wood, who last year was playing in the Summer League for the Houston Rockets without any clear idea what the next year would be like.

“It was definitely harder than I expected but everything panned out great,” Wood said. “Everything’s going well.”

Wood’s 3-point shot is still streaky — he went 2-for-4 against Golden State but is 2-for-11 overall in Vegas — but he’s added an estimated 15 pounds to his frame to help handle the rigors of professional life. And he doesn’t lack for supporters to help along the way, especially back at the Thomas & Mack Center, where former Rebel Rashad Vaughn checked in on the game and others like former coaches Todd Simon and Stacey Augmon watched from the stands.

Wood, a Palmdale, Calif., native, had two phones in his hand during a postgame interview. One of them had the same UNLV case that Wood has had since college, a small reminder of where he came from.

“It’s like my second home,” Wood said of Vegas. “My family came out here; it was good to see a couple of my coaches. … They show support and it helps me on the court.”

McCaw attempted the opposite of support while the two were on the court. But that’s to be expected as pros, and if Wood wants to get even he could pull at McCaw’s shorts when the dinner bill comes.

Taylor Bern can be reached at 948-7844 or [email protected]. Follow Taylor on Twitter at twitter.com/taylorbern.

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