NBA Summer League 2015: Breaking Down Updated Las Vegas Bracket and Schedule

Las Vegas Summer League play is nearing its conclusion, and the expansive field is set to be whittled down to eight teams once the tournament's 16 remaining squads do battle Thursday. 

While underperforming clubs like the Philadelphia 76ers and Houston Rockets were relegated to the consolation bracket Wednesday during the first round of elimination play, Thursday will offer a chance for fans to take in some of Vegas' steadier units and their high-profile prospects. 

With spots in the quarterfinals up for grabs, here's a look at what's to come when the elimination phase of summer league resumes Thursday.  

Matchup	Time
Milwaukee Bucks vs. Phoenix Suns	4 p.m. ET
Golden State Warriors vs. New York Knicks	4:30 p.m. ET
Dallas Mavericks vs. D-League Select	6 p.m. ET
Brooklyn Nets vs. San Antonio Spurs	6:30 p.m. ET
Washington Wizards vs. New Orleans Pelicans	8 p.m. ET
Atlanta Hawks vs. Denver Nuggets	8:30 p.m. ET
Chicago Bulls vs. Toronto Raptors	10 p.m. ET
Portland Trail Blazers vs. Boston Celtics	10:30 p.m. ET

Once there's a bow on Thursday's action, a champion will be determined over the course of three days. Play on Friday is reserved for teams in the consolation bracket. 

Round	Date	TV Info
Quarterfinals	July 18	NBA TV
Semifinals	July 19	NBA TV
Finals	July 20	NBA TV

Brooklyn Nets vs. San Antonio Spurs

Ronda Churchill/Associated Press

Although the Philadelphia 76ers mounted a 27-15 third-quarter charge in Wednesday's first-round elimination game, the Brooklyn Nets stood tall and advanced to play the San Antonio Spurs with a 75-68 win over their Atlantic Division rivals.  

Not only has Nets rookie Rondae Hollis-Jefferson been a pleasant surprise on offense since arriving in Vegas—he's scored in double figures in three of his four appearances—but his defensive chops have been as good as advertised, as the NBA documented on Twitter during Wednesday's win: 

Named the "best defensive player in the draft" by Nets general manager Billy King, according to the New York Daily News' Mitch Abramson, Hollis-Jefferson will be tasked with locking up some lengthy and athletic opponents on the perimeter. 

Namely, former UCLA Bruin Kyle Anderson.

Three games into the Spurs' Las Vegas journey, Anderson has set the tone. His 21.3 point-per-game average ranks tops on San Antonio—eight points clear of the second-closest Spurs scorer, Jarell Eddie. 

Anderson still has work to do when it comes to finding consistency with his jumper, but a 33.3 percent three-point conversion rate has pointed to gradual improvement from beyond the arc. During his rookie season, Anderson shot just 27.3 percent from distance, albeit in a minuscule 11-shot sample size.   

Since the Spurs began play in Vegas, Anderson has recorded a double-figure scoring total in every contest, including back-to-back 23- and 22-point efforts against the New York Knicks and Milwaukee Bucks, respectively. 

Milwaukee Bucks vs. Phoenix Suns

Tom Lynn/Associated Press

The Bucks escaped Round 1 of elimination play by downing the Houston Rockets, 97-93, in a back-and-forth affair, thanks to the combined efforts of Rashad Vaughn and Sean Kilpatrick.

Kilpatrick was feeling it all afternoon long, scoring a team-high 26 points on 9-of-12 shooting (4-of-6 from three), while Vaughn added 23 points on 7-of-17 shooting.

After suffering a season-ending meniscus tear during his freshman season at UNLV, Vaughn displayed smooth scoring chops that caught the attention of the Journal Times' Gery Woelfel:    

Meanwhile, the Phoenix Suns have been one of Vegas' most intriguing clubs over the past week, namely because their stable of talent includes several lottery picks past and present.

Two, though, have stood out for completely different reasons. 

Alex Len, the fifth pick in the 2013 draft, has imposed his will physically and flashed polish that's expected of a player with two years of NBA experience under his belt.

Entering Wednesday's elimination play, Len led all players with 11 rebounds a game. Factor in a nightly output of 12.5 points and Len—along with the Boston Celtics' Jordan Mickey—is one of two players averaging a double-double consisting of points and rebounds.   

"Being on the court, you learn how to get position and also, by getting stronger, it's easier to get position," Len said, according to the Arizona Republic's Paul Coro. 

The other Phoenix youngster to keep an eye on is 2015 first-round pick Devin Booker, who's yet to flash the three-point shooting chops that propelled him into last month's NBA draft lottery. 

While Booker's averaging a respectable 11.3 points, he's knocking down just 31.7 percent of his total shots and 15.4 percent of his threes. 

However, Suns summer league head coach Nate Bjorkgren has been encouraged by Booker's versatility. 

"Everyone talks about him being a shooter and a great shooter, which he is, but he can put it on the floor, too," Bjorkgren said, per Coro. "He can come off ball screens and he makes nice reads. He comes up with his eyes open and he's a willing passer."

With a chance to qualify for the quarterfinals, Booker should relish a chance to shine under an amplified spotlight. 

Atlanta Hawks vs. Denver Nuggets

Denver Nuggets point guard and No. 7 overall pick Emmanuel Mudiay has been arguably the most impressive player in Las Vegas to this point, helping Denver secure the No. 3 seed by winning each of its first three games.  

During that span, Mudiay has flashed the athletic gifts that made him such a compelling prospect. In turn, he's used those raw physical skills to average 13.3 points and 7.3 assists. Thus far, only Tim Frazier and Larry Drew II have dished the rock at higher clips. 

"Emmanuel's going to be a guy we feature early on," Nuggets head coach Mike Malone said, according to NBA.com's Scott Howard-Cooper. "He's too good not to do that. I think he can make everybody around him better."

Mudiay's topped 10 points in every outing thus far, but his 19-point, 10-assist double-double against the Sacramento Kings on July 12 exemplified what he has to offer as a rookie. 

And considering Mudiay is one of six Denver players averaging double figures in the scoring column entering Thursday's tilt, the Nuggets should be favored to advance and remain undefeated—particularly after they beat the Atlanta Hawks, 86-71, on July 10.