NBA Summer League is now, officially, in full swing after two days of action in Las Vegas. Day 3 of Summer League brings fewer games (just six on the schedule), but it provides us with the marquee matchup of the entire 10-day event, as the top two picks in this year’s NBA Draft go head-to-head.
Cade Cunningham and the Pistons will take on Jalen Green and the Rockets on Tuesday evening in what has become an annual tradition of the first two picks being scheduled against each other. Both have already gone up against other top picks, with Cunningham facing Josh Giddey and the Thunder in the opener (albeit only briefly before Giddey’s day ended after five minutes with an ankle sprain) and Green taking on Evan Mobley and the Cavs. This matchup, though, figures to create much more buzz and will be the most anticipated game of the tournament for most fans who aren’t invested heavily in one team or another.
Green scored 23 in the Rockets opener, doing what he does best, carving up the Cavs defense to get to his spot and getting buckets. Cunningham got off to a hot start in his debut as well, showcasing the two-way talent that has had him penciled in as a top pick for years, but cooled off from there and will be looking to improve upon his 12 points and six rebounds from Sunday.
While that maintains the marquee spot (and the lone game on ESPN proper for the night) there are five other games around it, with rookies like Jalen Johnson and Sharife Cooper (Hawks), Chris Duarte (Pacers), Josh Primo (Spurs), Davion Mitchell (Kings), Corey Kispert (Wizards), and Keon Johnson (Clippers) all also on display.
Here is the full TV schedule for Tuesday’s Summer League action:
Tuesday, August 10
Hawks vs. Pacers, Cox Pavilion (6:00 p.m. ET, NBA TV)
Celtics vs. Nuggets, Thomas & Mack (7:00 p.m. ET, ESPNU)
Bulls vs. Spurs, Cox Pavilion (8:00 p.m. ET, NBA TV)
Pistons vs. Rockets, Thomas & Mack (9:00 p.m. ET, ESPN)
Kings vs. Wizards, Cox Pavilion (10:00 p.m. ET, NBA TV)
Clippers vs. Blazers, Thomas & Mack (11 p.m. ET, ESPNU)