Ad
Another Sin City win for Nelly Junior Joseph as former Lobo makes NBA Summer League debut
UNM senior Nelly Junior Joseph, right, tries to get around UNLV’s Pape N’Diaye during a game in the Pit, March 7.
Published
Modified
Former Lobo center Nelly Junior Joseph loves Las Vegas.
The 6-foot-10 University of New Mexico graduate got the start on Friday for the Atlanta Hawks in the team's NBA Summer League debut in Sin City, helping lead the way to a 105-98 win over the Miami Heat.
Joseph, whose name on the NBA.com box score reads "Nell Joseph", got the start in his first Summer League game and played 15 minutes, 29 seconds. In that time, he scored six points on 60% shooting (3-of-5 from the field), grabbed seven rebounds, including three of the Hawks' 20 offensive boards in the game, blocked two shots and had a steal in the victory.
For Joseph, who was helped the Lobos to an 11-2 record in Las Vegas and nearby Henderson, Nevada, over the past two seasons, the win on the floor of UNLV's Thomas & Mack Center was a familiar feeling (UNM went 5-0 in neutral court games played in Henderson the past two seasons, 1-1 vs. UNLV in the Thomas & Mack Center and 5-1 in the Mountain West Tournament in the venue). He is now 1-0 in Las Vegas as a pro.
The native of Nigeria is trying to earn a spot on the Hawks roster or G-League team this summer after going undrafted in last month's NBA Draft.
Fellow former Mountain West star Lamont Butler, who played at Kentucky last year and San Diego State for four years prior to that, did not play for the Hawks. Former SDSU wing Keshad Johnson, who finished his college career with Arizona, started for Miami and finished with 9 points, three rebounds and three assists while 2021 Mountain West Freshman of the Year Marcus Williams, who left Wyoming after that season before playing at both Texas A&M and San Francisco, was scoreless in 12 minutes off the bench for Miami.
Joseph and the Hawks next play the Phoenix Suns at 1:30 p.m. Sunday on NBA TV.
