NBA Summer League 2018: TV Schedule for Las Vegas Semifinals
There's no substitute for winning a championship, even in July. Las Vegas Summer League competition boils down to four teams in the semifinals.
The Portland Trail Blazers hope to reach the summer-league championship and finish with different results after losing to the Los Angeles Lakers last year. First, they must go through an impressive No. 27-seeded Memphis Grizzlies team that features No. 4 overall pick Jaren Jackson Jr. and Jevon Carter, the 32nd selection in June's draft.
The Lakers' youngsters put on a show in front of LeBron James at the Thomas and Mack Center. It's possible he took a look at a player who may run the floor with him in the 2018-19 season. Los Angeles will face off against The King's former team in the Cleveland Cavaliers, who reached the semifinals with help from the No. 8 overall pick, Collin Sexton.
Read on for a look at the start times and viewing information for the two summer-league matchups with a breakdown of key players.
No. 1 Los Angeles Lakers vs. No. 12 Cleveland Cavaliers
Start Time: 8:30 p.m. ET
TV: ESPN2
Live stream: WatchESPN
Sexton hasn't allowed chatter about his inefficient shooting affect his aggressiveness on the offensive end. He put up 18 points on 43 percent shooting from the field and dished out six assists in an 82-68 win over the Toronto Raptors Sunday.
The Alabama product took contested shots, tossed up floaters in the lane and, as usual, attacked the basket, which helped him pick up six points at the free-throw line:
The Cavaliers decided to rest two of their best players in center Ante Zizic (20.5 points per game) and forward Cedi Osman (20 points per game) against the Raptors. Cleveland will need them to knock off the No. 1-seeded Lakers, who've yet to lose a game in Las Vegas.
The young Lakers pushed their streak to five games and will continue their quest to repeat as Summer League champions. Josh Hart, Los Angeles' leading scorer, dropped 18 points on the Detroit Pistons Sunday.
The second-year guard has already caught team president of basketball operations Magic Johnson's eye as a potential starter for the upcoming season, per Los Angeles Times reporter Tania Ganguli:
The Cavaliers will also have to account for Kansas product Svi Mykhailiuk, who led the Lakers in scoring against the Pistons with 19 points. The 6'8" sharpshooter has converted on 47 percent of his shots in five contests.
An MRI confirmed forward Moritz Wagner suffered a left knee contusion in a game against the New York Knicks, and his status remains uncertain for Monday's matchup.
No. 2 Portland Trail Blazers vs. No. 27 Memphis Grizzlies
Start Time: 10:30 p.m. ET
TV: ESPN2
Live stream: WatchESPN
In his third year with Portland, forward Jake Layman leads the team in scoring, averaging 16 points per contest, but guard Wade Baldwin IV has been the shining star through five outings with 14.4 points and 8.4 assists per game.
Perhaps the youngster channeled a teammate's game to spark his production:
Whatever the case, it's working for the Grizzlies' first-round pick from the 2016 draft. Baldwin will have an opportunity to send his former squad home for the summer. The Blazers have five players averaging 10 or more points in summer-league action, which include the Nos. 24 and 37 overall picks, Anfernee Simons and Gary Trent Jr.
Jackson's blocked shots and Carter's quick hands fit into the Grizzlies' style of play, which traditionally takes pride in effort on the defensive end. The Michigan State product ranks second in swats per contest with 3.8. Memphis will need both players active against a high-scoring Blazers team that crushed the Boston Celtics 95-80 Sunday.
Beyond the Grizzlies' two 2018 draft contributors, keep an eye on guard Kobi Simmons, who's averaging 13.2 points per contest and went into attack mode against the Philadelphia 76ers, going 8-for-8 at the charity stripe en route to an 82-73 victory.
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