Starting 5: Saturday’s summer semifinals just hours away after five Friday finales

The nightly recap from July 18, 2026, as the 2026 NBA Summer League continues.

Leaving Las Vegas

with a bang.

LA’s Sean Pedulla

backed up No. 5 pick Keaton Wagler by netting the first 9 points of overtime, in the Clips’ closing game.

Read on

to get set for NBA Summer League’s two Semifinals showdowns tonight.

5 STORIES IN TODAY’S EDITION 🏀

July 18, 2026

Semifinals Preview:

Boozer’s Grizz look to out-shoot Rockets, Lakers go for 5-0 vs. Warriors

Five For Five:

One storyline to watch in each of Saturday’s consolation games

Scouting Summer League:

The Athletic’s on-site evaluations of Vegas’ top rookies

Friday’s Finales:

No. 5 pick Keaton Wagler and Vegas’ leading scorer Meleek Thomas ended strong summers

2026 Nike Peach Jam:

43-point history and a coaching clash between Jamal Crawford & Bradley Beal

BUT FIRST … ⏰

Semifinals Saturday in Las Vegas…

The 2026 NBA Summer League

Semifinals tip tonight, as part of a 7-game slate, with the No. 3 seed Rockets facing Cameron Boozer’s No. 2 Grizzlies (

6:30 ET, Prime

) and the No. 4 Warriors taking on the undefeated No. 1 Lakers (

8:30 ET, Prime

).

Caitlin Clark’s

scorching Friday night (45 pts, 10 ast, 4 stl, 2 blk) was historically great, achieving the first-ever

40+ point, 10+ assist game

in WNBA history.

1. SUMMER SEMIS: GRIZZ, ROCKETS CRASH PARTY, 4-0 LAKERS EYE PERFECTION

NBAE via Getty Images

Summer’s still heating up

for the four teams left standing to battle for the NBA Summer League’s ultimate prize.

Three of those four

surged their way into playoff position on the final day of group play, confirming anything is possible, in Las Vegas and in this weekend’s Semifinals. Here’s what to look for tonight:

No. 3 Rockets vs. No. 2 Grizzlies (6:30 ET Prime):

An all-Western Conference Vegas Semifinals tips off with the highest remaining 2026 Draft pick taking on a West contender’s next wave of talent.

Rookie-Returner Recipe

: No. 3 pick Cameron Boozer and 2025 All-Rookie Team selection Cedric Coward lead the Grizzlies (3-1) against No. 31 pick Bruce Thornton, two-way player Tristen Newton and the Rockets (3-1)

Odds Stacked Against:

Facing an undefeated Hawks team that would have locked up a top-2 seed with a W, the Grizz needed to secure their third win Thursday – by at least 12 points – to have a shot at a playoff spot

What they got

was one of the most dominant wins (+32, 50.0 FG%) of the Vegas tournament, leaping into Atlanta’s spot in the Semifinals

Lights Out:

Memphis shooting 31-of-62 Thursday wasn’t an outlier; the team ranks top-5 in shooting (44.7 FG%) in Vegas, and 4th in points per game (96.8)

Houston’s 17-point

, playoff-crashing win Thursday ensured the team claimed all three of its Vegas wins by double-digits, slotting in behind Memphis with a +41 point differential.

More Than Firepower:

Houston has paired stingy defense with its high-flying offense this summer, ripping 12.5 steals per game

Summer Standout:

The first pick of June’s second round, Thornton has shined for Houston, logging 21.3 ppg while dialing long distance at a 44.0 3P%

“It’s fun, man,”

Thornton said of this Rockets group. “Everybody’s willing to pass the ball, everybody’s willing to win at a high level.”

Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images

In the other Semifinal

showdown, both L.A.’s strong core of returners and the Bay’s championship-tested style of play are feeling a boost from first-round Draft picks.

No. 4 Warriors vs. No. 1 Lakers (8:30 ET, Prime):

L.A.’s No. 24 pick Cameron Carr and Golden State’s No. 11 pick Yaxel Lendeborg have been making summer impacts since their dueling

19-point faceoff

on Day 1 of the Cali Classic.

Keys To The Carr:

The undefeated Lakers run into Saturday’s Semis behind Carr’s 18.3 ppg in Las Vegas, as well as a +13 plus/minus

Spotlight Support:

Returners Arthur Kaluma (20.3 ppg) and Adou Thiero (14.8 ppg, 5.3 rpg) have been able to shoulder the scoring load when needed, allowing Carr to get up to speed

Clicking On Offense:

Averaging the most team assists (22.8 apg) and best shooting percentage (50.4 FG%) in Vegas this summer adds up to 97.8 points per game for the Lakers (3rd-best) and a circuit-high +70 total point differential

What’s impressed Carr most

this summer? “Our connected abilities, when we get on the court. Everybody’s in their own little world but it all mashes together very, very well.”

True to the Warriors’ way

, the Summer Dubs rank 4th in 3s per game (11.5), shooting 35.9% (4th) from long range for a +25 total point differential.

High Bar:

Lendeborg’s summer has been special since his perfect shooting night (6-6 FG, 4-4 3FG) against these Lakers in the Cali Classic, now averaging 13.3 ppg, 6.8 rpg and 4.8 apg in his four Vegas outings

2. FIVE REASONS TO WATCH SATURDAY’S FIVE CONSOLATION GAMES

Surrounding Saturday’s

Semifinal action, 10 more teams wrap up their summer seasons on the consolation slate.

As players

get their last chance to showcase their skills, here’s something to look out for in each matchup.

Celtics vs. Magic (4:30 ET, Prime):

A pair of returning rotation players with matching offensive outputs lead Boston and Orlando into this summer finale in Hugo González (18.3 ppg) and Jase Richardson (18.3 ppg)

Summer Triple-Double?:

González was two assists shy of a triple-double in his 2026 summer debut, and enters averaging 8.0 rpg and 5.7 apg in Vegas

Sixers vs. Bucks (5 ET, ESPN):

One of the biggest bright spots in Las Vegas this month has been No. 22 pick Labaron Philon (18.5 ppg) showing what he can bring to Philly’s second unit this season.

First-Round Foes:

Philon now heads toward a high-profile backcourt battle with another name on the rise in the desert: Milwaukee’s No. 10 pick Brayden Burries (22.3 ppg)

Hawks vs. Wizards (7 ET, ESPN):

Top-pick AJ Dybantsa’s summer season is

reportedly complete

after contributing 25.0 ppg in Washington’s (2-2) two wins.

Atlanta’s Anchor:

It’s been a week since we last saw No. 8 pick Kingston Flemings, after he helped the Hawks get out to a 2-0 start in Vegas. He’s on track to add to his summer assists mark (6.5 apg) tonight

Pacers vs. Pelicans (9 ET, ESPN):

New Orleans (2-2) hasn’t played since Wednesday, and bucket-getter Kobe Bufkin last suited up Sunday. Averaging over 20 points in his third Summer League season after a 30-piece on July 9, what lasting impression will Bufkin (21.3 ppg) leave?

Spurs vs. Suns (10:30 ET, Prime):

Before the group stage’s wild final day of movement, San Antonio and Phoenix, both 3-1, were in line to make the Semifinals.

Bigs Battle:

Suns 2025 top-10 Draft pick Khaman Maluach (19.5 ppg, 12.8 rpg) has been one of the top standout sophomores this summer, and he’ll finish with a paint challenge from No. 26 pick Tarris Reed Jr., who’s shined for the Spurs

3. SUMMER SCOUTING: TAKEAWAYS FROM VEGAS’ TOP ROOKIES

Ryan Stetz/NBAE via Getty Images

AJ Dybantsa

is

hyping up his teammates

from the sidelines.

Caleb Wilson

is off to

next-steps in Chicago

.

With four teams

left vying for the 2026 NBA Summer League title, many of the future’s biggest names have completed their summer showcases.

The Athletic’s Sam Vecenie

was on-site in Las Vegas, evaluating the top Draft picks. Here’s his

summer scouting report

:

“The 2026 NBA Draft class

built significant enthusiasm throughout the last year, and it did not disappoint … All of the top-four prospects played absurdly well, and many selected beyond that top group also impressed.

No. 1 AJ Dybantsa, Washington Wizards

“I don’t know that any player looked more like what we expected than Dybantsa did. He looked like he has star wing upside. He drew fouls. And he looked like the dynamic athlete we’ve come to expect.”

No. 2 Darryn Peterson, Utah Jazz

“Peterson displayed everything you’d look for in a potential superstar on this level of competition. The shotmaking ability was out of control, and he had some positive moments on defense as well.”

No. 3 Cam Boozer, Memphis Grizzlies

“He drilled shots from distance and provided versatile reps out of ball screens, as a roller, as a passing hub and occasionally in the post. There’s a lot to be excited about due to how many ways he can structurally harm the defense.”

No. 4 Caleb Wilson, Chicago Bulls

“

I’m not sure I’ve seen a player more resoundingly come out and showcase such drastic improvement in a single skill level. I’m not saying that Wilson will make 40 percent of his 3s this season with the Bulls, but I feel more confident in Wilson’s jumper now…”

Read More

on each player and a handful of others.

4. FRIDAY FINALES: WAGLER, THOMAS WOW IN CONSOLATION GAMES

Summer League

send-offs began Friday night, with 12 teams completing their time in Las Vegas.

The lone 2026 top-10 pick

to take the floor Friday night was LA’s No. 5 pick, Keaton Wagler.

Clippers 128, Wolves 120 (OT):

Minnesota (2-3) battled back from a 26-point deficit with a 40-point 4th to force overtime, but the Clips’ (3-2) duo of Wagler (26 pts) and Sean Pedulla (24 pts, 5 reb, 11 ast, 5 3s) took back control late while leading all scorers. |

Recap

Sending A Message:

Coming back from the locker room after being shaken up on a fall, Wagler hit two clutch free throws in the final 30 seconds before his attempt to win it at the buzzer rimmed out

“I wanted to come back,”

Wagler said. “Last game here, wanted to end it with a win. And then, overtime, my boy took over.”

Catching Fire:

Pedulla

couldn’t miss

as he scored the first 9 points of OT, outscoring the Wolves by himself in the frame, 9-5

Record-Breaking:

The two teams’ 76 combined points across the 4th quarter and OT pushed this game to set the record for most points in a Vegas Summer League game (248), with LA’s 128 the all-time high score for any summer squad

Cavaliers 100, Bulls 91:

Without Caleb Wilson, Donovan Atwell (22 pts, 6 3s) helped the Bulls cut a 15-point gap to 4 in the 4th, but NBA Summer League leading scorer Meleek Thomas’ (24 pts) and-1 capped an 8-2 response to pull ahead for good. |

Top Bucket:

Thomas, the No. 34 pick, finished Summer League averaging a Vegas-best 27.3 points per game across four games, never scoring below 20 points. Fellow rookie Razorback Darius Acuff Jr.

congratulated him postgame

“My game’s gonna speak for itself the whole time,”

Thomas

said postgame

… “[I’ll] forever be one of the best, if not the best, on the floor that I play on.”

Kings 92, Hornets 90:

Acuff didn’t suit up for Sacramento, but Charlotte’s lottery pick, Hannes Steinbach (22 pts, 11 reb), helped the Hornets erase a 15-point gap and take a 6-point lead in the 4th.

The Kings

(2-3) and No. 45 pick Emanuel Sharp (16 pts, 4 3s) answered back with a 11-6 closeout to win, dropping last summer’s champs to 1-4 this year. |

First-Rounders Roundup:

Charlotte’s No. 18 pick, Christian Anderson (18 pts, 8 ast) had his highest-scoring night of Summer League, out-pacing the Kings’ No. 29 pick, Alex Karaban (14 pts)

Heat 101, Pistons 87:

No. 17 pick Ebuka Okorie’s game-high 29 points helped Detroit build a lead as large as 15, but Miami held them to just 35 2nd-half points, storming back to tie it midway through the 4th, and then getting away with a 13-2 burst.

Miami’s undrafted

two-way player Tre Donaldson (20 pts, 8 reb, 10 ast) missed a triple-double by two boards. |

Mavericks 110, Knicks 88:

Dallas caught fire from deep (46.2% 3FG) and pulled away with a 22-2 finish to the 3rd, as five Mavs scored 15 or more points, led by Darin Green Jr.’s 21 on six 3s. New York’s Pacôme Dadiet finished with a team-high 19 points. |

Jazz 83, Blazers 79:

Flynn Cameron scored 7 of his 12 points in the final two minutes as Portland cut Utah’s 15-point lead to just 1, But Justin Harmon’s (21 pts, 6 reb) clutch free throws helped the Jazz (2-3) escape despite being without Darryn Peterson. |

5. 2026 NIKE EYBL PEACH JAM: NBA COACHES & A 43-POINT RECORD

Michael Gonzales/NBAE via Getty Images

Now, who’s next?

As the 2026

Nike EYBL Peach Jam enters its single-elimination Playoff bracket this morning, catch up on the tournament’s biggest end-of-week moments from the nation’s top high school prospects.

Check out

the action from one of the premiere events on the amateur hoops circuit – once the proving grounds for names like AJ Dybantsa, Cameron Boozer, Caleb Wilson, Cooper Flag, and so many more – on the NBA App, NBA.com, NBA YouTube and NBA TV.

New Peach Jam High:

Cayden Daughtry’s

43-point explosion

Thursday broke Peach Jam’s single-game scoring record, while pushing his Florida Rebels team through 3 OTs before a last-second loss to the NY Rens

“That kid can play,”

Magic guard Desmond Bane, on hand for his program, Baneville Academy,

said of Daughtry

. “I like the way he carries himself. He’s a hell of a player.”

At It Again:

Daughtry followed up his record-breaker with

35 more points

Friday to secure Florida Rebels’ fourth win of pool play and the top spot in Pool A

Also on Friday,

Mohan Elite got a

go-ahead bucket

from Nathaniel Muriithi in final seconds to spoil Beckham Black’s (little brother of Bane’s Magic teammate Anthony Black)

19-point performance

, in a battle of Pool C’s top-2 teams

Clipboard Clout:

Earlier, in the 16U division, NBA greats Bradley Beal and Jamal Crawford faced off in

a coaches duel

, leading their teams, Brad Beal Elite and NW Rotary, respectively. Crawford coaches

his son, JJ

But it was Brady Pettigrew

who won it for Brad Beal Elite

at the buzzer

: “I didn’t know how I was going to get it done, I just knew I was going to get it done.”

Quarterfinal action

in the 17U bracket tips off this morning, starting with Daughtry’s Rebels facing ESPN’s top-ranked recruit AJ Williams of Chris Paul’s Team CP3 (9 a.m. ET). This morning’s winners battle tonight in the Semifinals to decide Sunday’s Championship participants. |

Full Details

Catch it all

on the NBA App, NBA.com, NBA YouTube and NBA TV.