Hukporti, Lual-Acuil Jr battle in Summer League

Two of Melbourne United’s biggest stars from NBL24 have clashed in NBA Summer League this morning.

After two seasons of playing alongside each other, Ariel Hukporti and Jo Lual-Acuil Jr battled it out on the court when the New York Knicks met the Sacramento Kings in Las Vegas.

Hukporti looked strong from the outset, starting the game for New York and working his way to a 11-point, 10-rebound double double.

Looking to slow down the big-man, the Kings looked towards JLA, who came off the bench to score six points, grab five rebounds and dish out three assists in under 15 minutes.

Ariel and Jo went head to head this morning at NBA Summer League. Pete Hooley caught up with the pair after the game to see how it felt to be on opposing sides and how their time in Vegas is going. pic.twitter.com/usnPZBbllk

— Melbourne United (@MelbUnited) July 18, 2024

This included a baseline dunk from the All-NBL team center on top of the former Next Star’s head.

It was however Hukporti’s Kicks that got the last laugh, coming away with a one-point victory following a bucket in the closing seconds.

Speaking after the game, both players touched on how special it was to match up in the Summer League setting.

“It’s cool, I see him as my big brother so it’s actually cool to play against him,” Hukporti said.

“It was great, he taught me a lot. We never trash talk… there’s too much love, there’s too much respect between each other.”

“I’m so happy for him,” Lual-Acuil Jr added, speaking about Hukporti.

“I was kind of like a proud big brother seeing him get drafted and then getting his deal, I couldn’t be happier for him. Seeing what happened to him with his achilles and how he bounced back, it’s just great seeing his growth every year.

“Once we hoop, it’s different, but obviously off the court I’m happy for him.”

Jual-Acuil Jr will play one more game against the Washington Wizards on Friday morning, while Hukporti’s final game will come against the Detroit Pistons on Saturday.