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Blake Hinson catches early fire against Bulls

Former Pitt sharpshooter Blake Hinson was once again successful for the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA Summer League on Saturday night.

In the first half alone, Hinson made seven of his 12 field goal attempts, including four of his seven three-point attempts. He made three of his four free throws, grabbed one rebound and had one assist. Hinson scored 21 points in the first half alone and has the Lakers with an early 17-point lead at halftime.

The Lakers have won their last two Summer League games after starting 0-5. In their last game, a win over the Cavaliers, Hinson went 3 of 8 from the field, including 2 of 6 from three, for eight points. He also dished out two assists and grabbed one rebound in the win.

Hinson’s best game, aside from Saturday night, was his first. He burst onto the scene quickly and immediately captured the attention of the Lakers fan base. In that game, he finished with 17 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, and one steal. He went 5 of 7 three-pointers and 5 of 8 overall from the field.

Hinson — a 6-foot-8 forward from Deltona, Fla. — is coming off a final season in Pittsburgh in which he averaged 18.8 points and 4.6 rebounds per game while shooting 45.4 percent from the field, 42.1 percent from beyond the arc (on 261 attempts) and 66.9 percent from the free-throw line. He topped 20-point territory 14 times last season — and erupted for a career-high 41 points in a win over Louisville.

After his final season in Pittsburgh, he was named to the All-ACC team, setting numerous program records, including three points in a season (110) and three pointers in a game (nine, against West Virginia in December).