NBA Daily Digest: Ament lifts Bucks, Maluach dominates, semis race tightens

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 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

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

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

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.