NBA Daily Digest: Wagler caps Day 9, semifinals set (2026)

The Read

Friday's six-game Las Vegas board closed pool play with a Clippers overtime win and a clear Saturday bracket. The Los Angeles Lakers stayed unbeaten at 4-0, while Memphis, Houston and Golden State claimed the other three semifinal spots on point differential. 1

LA Clippers guard Keaton Wagler drives against the Minnesota Timberwolves in NBA Summer League. — Keaton Wagler's closing-game burst gave the Clippers an overtime win and a strong finish to his Las Vegas run. 2

Day 9 Results

Game	Final	Lead note
Kings vs. Hornets	Kings 92, Hornets 90	Emanuel Sharp scored 16; Hannes Steinbach posted 22 points and 11 rebounds. 3
Bulls vs. Cavaliers	Cavaliers 100, Bulls 91	Cavaliers guard Meleek Thomas led all scorers with 24 points. 4
Mavericks vs. Knicks	Mavericks 110, Knicks 88	Dallas made 18 of 39 3-pointers, or 46.2%. 5
Pistons vs. Heat	Heat 101, Pistons 87	Heat guard Tre Donaldson finished with 20 points, 8 rebounds and 10 assists. 5
Trail Blazers vs. Jazz	Jazz 83, Trail Blazers 79	Utah held off Portland's late comeback behind a 21-point game from its leading scorer. 5
Timberwolves vs. Clippers	Clippers 128, Timberwolves 120 (OT)	Clippers guard Keaton Wagler scored 26; Sean Pedulla added 24 points and 11 assists. 5

The final game was the night's defining performance. Minnesota erased a 26-point deficit with a 40-point fourth quarter, but Clippers guard Sean Pedulla scored the first nine points of overtime after Wagler's 26-point night. 5

Thomas also closed his summer with four 20-point games in four appearances and a Vegas-leading 27.3 points per game across those outings. Steinbach recorded his third double-double in five games, while Donaldson's 13 fourth-quarter points completed Miami's comeback. 2

Semifinal Table

The bracket was decided by pool-play record and point differential. The Lakers were the only unbeaten team; Memphis jumped from ninth to second after its 32-point win over Atlanta, while Houston and Golden State secured the last two places. 1

Seed	Team	Pool-play record	Point differential
1	Los Angeles Lakers	4-0	Not listed in source
2	Memphis Grizzlies	3-1	+11.5
3	Houston Rockets	3-1	+10.3
4	Golden State Warriors	3-1	+6.3

Memphis faces Houston first. The Lakers then meet Golden State, with both winners advancing to Sunday's championship game. 5

Availability and Moves

Washington Wizards wing AJ Dybantsa, second-year wings Will Riley and Tre Johnson were shut down for the rest of Summer League after the team judged their camp and game sample sufficient. Dybantsa averaged 25.0 points, 7.0 rebounds and 2.0 assists in two appearances. 6

There is no new confirmed trade, signing or waiver to add from the checked July 17-18 window. The NBA transactions page exposed no dated entry when checked, so the personnel board remains unchanged for this edition. 7

The League-Wide Thread

LeBron James, the former Los Angeles Lakers forward, said at Fanatics Fest that he wants to compete at a high level and join a franchise built around daily championship habits. His use of the phrase "trust the process" prompted a Philadelphia reaction, but James immediately said it was not a commitment to the 76ers. CBS Sports lists Philadelphia, Cleveland, Golden State, Miami and Minnesota among the reported suitors. 8

Next Key Games

Times are converted from Eastern Time to GMT+8.

GMT+8 start	Game	Broadcast	Stakes
Sun, Jul. 19, 04:30	Celtics vs. Magic	Prime Video	First listed game of the seven-game slate
Sun, Jul. 19, 06:30	Rockets vs. Grizzlies	Prime Video	Semifinal 1
Sun, Jul. 19, 08:30	Lakers vs. Warriors	Prime Video	Semifinal 2
Mon, Jul. 20, 09:00	Summer League championship	ESPN	Semifinal winners meet

NBA.com lists the Celtics-Magic opener, both semifinal windows and Sunday's 9 p.m. ET championship slot in its Day 9 recap. 5

NBA Daily Digest: Wagler caps Day 9, semifinals set