In their second game in the Las Vegas Summer League, the Philadelphia 76ers played Donovan Clingan and the Portland Trail Blazers. The Sixers lost 97-95 in a very close contest.

The Summer Sixers got started in the desert with a win over the Detroit Pistons. The blend of rookies and older players has made this squad a fun and interesting viewing experience. The Blazers, with their length and standout rookie shot-blocker, gave them a lot of trouble early on but Philly fought back with a 12-1 run in the first quarter that made it a close game the rest of the way. Both teams traded big plays and leads, bringing the game down to the buzzer.

Here are three takeaways from the 76ers' matchup with the Trail Blazers.

Judah Mintz and Tony Bradley show some great hustle

Undrafted rookie Judah Mintz hadn’t stood out much in the Summer League coming into this game. Neither has NBA veteran/former real Sixers Tony Bradley. They've each had some nice moments but not prolonged impact for stretches of a game. But in this game, both of them did the dirty work really well.

The Sixers' zone defense didn’t do a great job of containing the Blazers very much. Mintz at least brought some physicality at the point of attack, drawing an offensive foul in the third quarter, and stayed alert in the passing lanes. He also scored on tough mid-range jumpers, layups and floaters while getting to the foul line a bunch of times. Generating his own offense hasn’t been a strength of his but he plays with no fear, which always goes in a player's favor. He had 16 points on 5-7 shooting against Portland.

Bradley wiped a shot attempt away from a cutter as one of his two blocks on the night and was a force on the offensive glass. He provided some important buckets down low, grabbed a team-best eight rebounds and sized up Clingan nicely. Against such a big opponent, it helped to have a change of pace from smaller bigs like Bona and Keve Aluma, especially with Bona committing six fouls in the first half.

Jared McCain makes some nice plays on defense

McCain may not be able to cover as much ground as other players because of his lack of size and burst. But his mind works quickly and smartly. He gets in the right position over and over on both sides of the ball, with his defensive playmaking standing out in this game.

Early in the game, McCain tipped away a pass where he beautifully read the eyes of Kennedy Chandler. Without getting out of position to help on the drive, he lunged right at the pass and hustled to keep the ball inside the lines. The result was a fast-break layup.

Later, McCain did a great job of denying Kris Murray a clean three-point attempt, forcing him to pump fake a few times until McCain could get a hand right in his face. He reads the opposing offense quite well and recovers well when an attempt to break up a pass is unsuccessful. Being up to speed — or as close as can be expected from a rookie — will go a long way.

McCain's anticipatory thinking shines as a playmaker, too. He continued to do a great job of leveraging his ability to drive as a way to set up teammates, as he did for Adem Bona on a behind-the-back dump-off pass in the second quarter. He had 11 points on just 3-16 shooting (3-10 from deep) while also tallying seven rebounds and three assists.

Also, after getting called “McClain” by the last broadcast crew, tonight’s crew called him “McCann” a few times. One of these days, everyone will get a grasp on his very long, complex surname.

Jeff Dowtin Jr. continues to impress

Is Dowtin getting too good for Summer League? If not, he's right on the fringe of that level. He may not be a high-profile guy and already be 27 years old but he continues to be really, really good. He has 16 points, eight assists and four rebounds in this one.

With Dowtin leading the way, the 76ers' offense always looks organized and often finds good shots. Dowtin's body is different than McCain but he's a solid player for the rookie to learn from. His snake dribbles out of pick-and-rolls and ability to slowly assess the floor by putting defenders on his hip help him overcome his lack of explosive athleticism. McCain already has a pretty good sense of this but Dowtin as a veteran sense of where to get the ball and take advantage of the gaps in the defense.

Even during last season, Dowtin received praise as someone who can run the offense really well. Once again, he was by far the most frequent playmaker for Philly. Being able to rise up for a mid-range shot keeps bigs in drop coverage honest and being able to just slam on the breaks makes it tough to trail him.

The Summer Sixers are back in action tomorrow night at 8:00 P.M. EST against the Minnesota Timberwolves.