Filipino baller Kai Sotto finally stepped on the hard court for the Orlando Magic in the NBA Summer League during their game against Portland on Thursday night (Friday morning, Manila time) at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas.
After riding the bench in the Magic’s first three games — to the disappointment of many Filipino basketball fans who had been eagerly awaiting the 7-foot-3 prospect in action — Sotto made the most of his playing time in the Magic’s 88-71 loss to the Trail Blazers.
Following a series of games where he remained on the sidelines, Sotto contributed six points (shooting 3-of-7), four rebounds, three blocks, and an assist during his appearance for Orlando, which lasted over 13 minutes.
The opening half ended with the Magic trailing 45-19, but both the Magic and Sotto played better in the second half before losing, 88-71.
“I feel like it was a good first game. Just to go out there and compete. It’s not good that we didn’t win, but we learned a lot from this game,” said Sotto in an interview posted on the Magic’s Twitter account.
Kai Sotto speaks to the media. pic.twitter.com/Ebcg0Yrqdi
— Orlando Magic (@OrlandoMagic) July 14, 2023
