NEW YORK — The matchup between the potential top two picks in NBA Draft 2018 presented by State Farm highlights the 12-day, 82-game schedule for MGM Resorts NBA Summer League 2018 in Las Vegas. For the first time, every Summer League game will air live on television, with ESPN networks and NBA TV combining to televise a record number of games.
The Phoenix Suns and Sacramento Kings, who are selecting first and second, respectively, in this year’s draft, will meet at MGM Resorts NBA Summer League 2018 on Saturday, July 7 at 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN.
MGM Resorts NBA Summer League, which features all 30 NBA teams for the first time, will tip off with a record 10 games on Friday, July 6 and continue through Tuesday, July 17 at the Thomas & Mack Center and Cox Pavilion on the campus of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. The first day of action will include five games on NBA TV and a tripleheader on ESPN.
The tournament-style format will culminate with the Championship Game on July 17 at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN. Last year’s event, won by the Los Angeles Lakers behind 2017 Summer League MVP Lonzo Ball and 2017-18 NBA All-Rookie First Team selection Kyle Kuzma, set records for total attendance, single-day attendance, combined viewership across ESPN and NBA TV, and traffic to the NBA’s social and digital platforms.
For the second consecutive year, ESPN will present every game from Las Vegas via the ESPN App, along with a record 46 games on its linear television channels (ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPNU).
NBA TV, co-managed by the NBA and Turner Sports, will air 36 games, beginning with the Summer League opener on July 6 when the Indiana Pacers, making their event debut, square off against the Houston Rockets at 3 p.m. ET. NBA TV’s coverage of Day 1 will also feature a 5 p.m. ET game between the Brooklyn Nets and the Orlando Magic, which selects sixth in the June 21 NBA Draft, as well as a 9 p.m. ET matchup between the Washington Wizards and the Cleveland Cavaliers, owners of the eighth draft pick.
The Lakers will begin defense of their Summer League title against the Philadelphia 76ers on Saturday, July 7 at 11:30 p.m. ET on ESPN2. Earlier that day, the Atlanta Hawks, who have the third pick in NBA Draft 2018 presented by State Farm, will play the New York Knicks at 5:30 p.m. ET on ESPN.
Each team will play a minimum of five games at MGM Resorts NBA Summer League, starting with three preliminary contests from July 6-10. The teams will then be seeded in the tournament, which starts on July 11 and concludes with the Championship Game on July 17.
Tickets for MGM Resorts NBA Summer League 2018 are on sale now. Fans can purchase tickets by visiting NBATickets.com.
Below is the complete schedule for MGM Resorts NBA Summer League 2018:
* All times listed are Pacific
Friday, July 6
Cox Pavilion
12 p.m. – Houston vs. Indiana (NBA TV)
2 p.m. – Brooklyn vs. Orlando (NBA TV)
4 p.m. – Milwaukee vs. Detroit (NBA TV)
6 p.m. – Cleveland vs. Washington (NBA TV)
8 p.m. – Denver vs. Minnesota (NBA TV)
Thomas & Mack
12:30 p.m. – Toronto vs. New Orleans (ESPNU)
2:30 p.m. – Oklahoma City vs. Charlotte (ESPNU)
4:30 p.m. – Boston vs. Philadelphia (ESPN)
6:30 p.m. – Dallas vs. Phoenix (ESPN)
8:30 p.m. – LA Clippers vs. Golden State (ESPN)
Saturday, July 7
Cox Pavilion
12 p.m. – Portland vs. Utah (NBA TV)
2 p.m. – Miami vs. New Orleans (NBA TV)
4 p.m. – Oklahoma City vs. Brooklyn (NBA TV)
6 p.m. – Detroit vs. Memphis (NBA TV)
8 p.m. – Boston vs. Denver (NBA TV)
Thomas & Mack
12:30 p.m. – San Antonio vs. Indiana (ESPN2)
2:30 p.m. – New York vs. Atlanta (ESPN)
4:30 p.m. – Phoenix vs. Sacramento (ESPN)
6:30 p.m. – Chicago vs. Cleveland (ESPN2)
8:30 p.m. – Philadelphia vs. Los Angeles Lakers (ESPN2)
Sunday, July 8
Cox Pavilion
12 p.m. – Minnesota vs. Toronto (NBA TV)
2 p.m. – Charlotte vs. Miami (NBA TV)
4 p.m. – Dallas vs. Milwaukee (NBA TV)
6 p.m. – Utah vs. New York (NBA TV)
8 p.m. – Sacramento vs. LA Clippers (NBA TV)
Thomas & Mack
12:30 p.m. – Washington vs. San Antonio (ESPN2)
2:30 p.m. – Portland vs. Atlanta (ESPN2)
4:30 p.m. – Golden State vs. Houston (ESPN2)
6:30 p.m. – Memphis vs. Orlando (ESPN2)
8:30 p.m. – Los Angeles Lakers vs. Chicago (ESPN2)
Monday, July 9
Cox Pavilion
12 p.m. – New Orleans vs. Detroit (ESPNU)
2 p.m. – Indiana vs. Cleveland (ESPN2)
4 p.m. – Charlotte vs. Boston (ESPN2)
6 p.m. – Milwaukee vs. Denver (ESPNU)
8 p.m. – Brooklyn vs. Minnesota (ESPNU)
Thomas & Mack
12:30 p.m. – Toronto vs. Oklahoma City (NBA TV)
2:30 p.m. – Washington vs. Philadelphia (NBA TV)
4:30 p.m. – Golden State vs. Dallas (NBA TV)
6:30 p.m. – Orlando vs. Phoenix (NBA TV)
8:30 p.m. – LA Clippers vs. Houston (NBA TV)
Tuesday, July 10
Cox Pavilion
1 p.m. – San Antonio vs. Portland (NBA TV)
3 p.m. – Atlanta vs. Chicago (NBA TV)
Thomas & Mack
1:30 p.m. – Utah vs. Miami (EPNU)
3:30 p.m. – Sacramento vs. Memphis (ESPN2)
5:30 p.m. – Los Angeles Lakers vs. New York (ESPN2)
Wednesday, July 11
First round tournament games will take place at the below times and locations:
Cox Pavilion: 1 p.m., 3 p.m., 5 p.m. and 7 p.m.
Thomas & Mack: 1:30 p.m., 3:30 p.m., 5:30 p.m., 7:30 p.m.
Thursday, July 12
First and second round tournament games will take place at the below times and locations:
Cox Pavilion: 1 p.m., 3 p.m., 5 p.m. and 7 p.m.
Thomas & Mack: 1:30 p.m., 3:30 p.m., 5:30 p.m., 7:30 p.m.
Friday, July 13
Consolation games will take place at the below times and locations:
Cox Pavilion: 1 p.m., 3 p.m., 5 p.m. and 7 p.m.
Thomas & Mack: 1:30 p.m., 3:30 p.m., 5:30 p.m., 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, July 14
Second round tournament games will take place at the below times and locations:
Cox Pavilion: 1 p.m., 3 p.m.
Thomas & Mack: 1:30 p.m., 3:30 p.m., 5:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, July 15 – Quarterfinals
Quarterfinal tournament games will take place at the below times and locations:
Thomas & Mack: 1 p.m., 3 p.m., 5 p.m. and 7 p.m.
Monday, July 16 – Semifinals
Semifinal tournament games will take place at the below times and locations:
Thomas & Mack: 5:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
Tuesday, July 17 – Championship
Thomas & Mack: 7 p.m.
