Kai Sotto benched anew amid fans’ clamor in NBA Summer League
Kai Sotto. Photo from Orlando Magic Twitter
MANILA, Philippines—Filipino basketball fans will have to wait a bit longer to see Kai Sotto in action in the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas.
For the second game in a row, Sotto logged a DNP (Did Not Play) in the Orlando Magic’s 108-85 loss to the Indiana Pacers on Tuesday (Manila time).
During the game, “We Want Sotto” chants broke out at Thomas & Mack Arena but coach Dylan Murphy remained steadfast on his decision to keep Sotto on the bench.
Caleb Houstan led Orlando with 18 points and five rebounds.
The Pacers, meanwhile, had a more balanced scoring effort with five players hitting double-digits.
Andrew Nembhard powered Indiana with 21 points while Benedict Mathurin and Ben Sheppard added 17 and 16 points.
Isaiah Jackson took advantage of the Magic’s lack of interior defense—where the 7-foot-3 Sotto would have made a difference—with a double-double of 13 points and 11 boards.
Sotto was one of 10 players who did not see action for Orlando, which only played 11 players.
Sotto was also benched in the Magic’s 89-78 defeat to the Detroit Pistons on Sunday.
The 21-year-old Sotto hopes to finally get some playing time when the Magic take on the New York Knicks on Thursday.
