NBA Daily Digest: Ament lifts Bucks, Maluach dominates, semis race tightens
Nate Ament led Milwaukee, Khaman Maluach dominated for Phoenix, and the eight-game Day 7 board narrowed but did not settle the Summer League semifinal race; Atlanta injury news and Friday's seven-game finale follow.
Day 7: Ament gives Milwaukee a lift
Eight Las Vegas Summer League games finished in the latest 24-hour window. Nate Ament, a Milwaukee Bucks forward, scored 23 points and grabbed six rebounds in a 110-91 win over the Charlotte Hornets, while Khaman Maluach, a Phoenix Suns center, posted 24 points and 15 rebounds in a 100-88 win over the Detroit Pistons. The results leave the semifinal race open heading into the last day of pool play. 1
Nate Ament's scoring led a balanced Bucks attack that put eight players in double figures. Milwaukee also made 19 of 45 three-point attempts, while Charlotte received 27 points and 15 rebounds from Hannes Steinbach, a Hornets center. 1
The eight finals
| Final | Lead performances and result note |
|---|---|
| Minnesota 114, Indiana 98 | Zyon Pullin, a Timberwolves guard, scored 23 points and added six assists. Isaiah Evans, a Minnesota wing, scored 22 with four three-pointers. |
| Orlando 99, Philadelphia 92 | Jase Richardson, a Magic guard, scored 25 on 10-for-15 shooting. Orlando shot 56.1% and moved to 3-1. |
| Cleveland 82, New Orleans 77 | Malakai Branham, a Cavaliers guard, led all scorers with 23 points. Markquis Nowell had 20 for the Pelicans. |
| Phoenix 100, Detroit 88 | Maluach led Phoenix with 24 points and 15 rebounds. Brice Williams scored 24 for Detroit. |
| Milwaukee 110, Charlotte 91 | Ament led the Bucks with 23 points and six rebounds. Steinbach recorded 27 points and 15 rebounds for Charlotte. |
| Boston 82, Sacramento 76 | Hugo Gonzalez, a Celtics wing, had 24 points, 10 rebounds and five assists. Alex Karaban, a Kings forward, answered with 21 points, eight rebounds and five made threes. |
| San Antonio 94, Utah 82 | Ja'Kobi Gillespie, a Spurs guard, scored 23, while Hyunjung Lee, a San Antonio wing, added 22. Darryn Peterson, a Jazz guard, finished with 15. |
| LA Clippers 108, Washington 94 | Kobe Sanders, a Clippers guard, scored 26 points and added five assists. Seth Trimble, a Wizards guard, scored 24. |
The other two 3-1 teams, Orlando and Boston, stayed close to the cut line. Boston held Sacramento to four first-quarter points before surviving a fourth-quarter rally, and Orlando had all five starters reach double figures. The Spurs and Suns also finished 3-1, with San Antonio closing on a 15-4 run against Utah and Phoenix using a 9-0 finish over the final 2:30 against Detroit. 2
Semifinal race and current news
The Lakers and Hawks entered the final pool-play day at 3-0. San Antonio, Phoenix, Boston and Orlando were 3-1, while Brooklyn, Houston, Golden State, Memphis, Denver and Toronto were each 2-1 and could reach 3-1 with a win. The top four teams advance to Saturday's semifinals; when more than two teams are tied, point differential is the deciding tiebreaker. 2
The main new availability item is in Atlanta. Mouhamed Gueye, a Hawks forward, had surgery Tuesday for a fractured left foot suffered during a July 8 workout. Atlanta said his status will be updated in three to four months, a timeline that could overlap the start of the 2026-27 season. 3
At the league level, Commissioner Adam Silver said the independent investigation into the Kawhi Leonard-Clippers matter could be completed before the coming season. He also said the league's owners want to decide on the next expansion by the end of 2026, with Las Vegas and Seattle among the markets being discussed. No expansion vote has been taken. 4
Giannis Antetokounmpo's Miami Heat introductory press conference is also scheduled for 3 p.m. ET, or 03:00 GMT+8 on Friday, on NBA App and NBA.com. 2
Next slate: Friday, July 17 (GMT+8)
The seven-game pool-play finale starts early Friday morning in GMT+8. Times below convert the NBA's listed Eastern times; broadcasts are the U.S. listings. 5
| GMT+8 | Matchup | Broadcast |
|---|---|---|
| 04:00 | Dallas Mavericks vs. Oklahoma City Thunder | Prime Video |
| 04:30 | Brooklyn Nets vs. Houston Rockets | ESPNU |
| 06:00 | Los Angeles Lakers vs. Chicago Bulls | Prime Video |
| 07:00 | Golden State Warriors vs. New York Knicks | ESPN2 |
| 08:00 | Memphis Grizzlies vs. Atlanta Hawks | Prime Video |
| 09:00 | Toronto Raptors vs. Miami Heat | ESPN2 |
| 10:00 | Portland Trail Blazers vs. Denver Nuggets | Prime Video |
The Lakers-Bulls and Grizzlies-Hawks games carry the clearest qualification stakes, but the full board matters because point differential can decide the final semifinal places.
References
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