What’s happening at the NBA Summer League Day 10 — Chicago and Minnesota will play for the NBA Summer League Championship
Semifinal play has begun at the Thomas & Mack Center for Day 10 of the NBA Summer League. The winners will meet for the championship at 6 p.m. Monday
We’re live-blogging from the arenas all day.
7:03 p.m.
It will be Chicago and Minnesota playing for the NBA Summer League Championship.
The No. 2 Bulls advanced to play the No. 24 Timberwolves after a 85-79 win over the Cavaliers. Chicago outscored Cleveland by 16 in the second half.
The two teams will play tomorrow at 6 p.m. The match-up will be an interesting one for Minnesota head coach Tom Thibodeau, who was previously Chicago’s head coach for five seasons.
6:55 p.m.
Sunday’s attendance was only 5,873. However, it was good enough to establish a record for overall attendance at the summer league. Through 10 sessions, this year’s event has attracted 100,074 customers. Last year’s overall count of 99,437 was for all 11 sessions so Monday’s crowd, whatever it is, will add to the record total.
6:32 p.m.
76ers forward Jerami Grant took time during the third quarter of the Bulls game against the Cavaliers to sign autographs for fans.
Grant is sitting courtside and watching his older brother, Chicago guard Jerian Grant.
The Bulls nearly erased a 10-point first half deficit in the third and trail Cleveland 59-57 with one quarter to play.
5:48 p.m.
An injured left hand wasn’t going to keep Tyus Jones out of the NBA Summer League semifinals.
“No. Nuh-uh,” he said after the game, with an ice wrap around his wrist. “No way.”
Jones crashed hard to the basket on a layup attempt in the last minute of the first half and came up holding his wrist. He staggered to the bench and received attention there for a few minutes after his teammates left for the locker room.
But when the second half started, Jones was on the court. And he scored 11 of his game-high 29 points in the second half to lead the Timberwolves to the championship game with a 93-83 win over the Suns.
“He’s gutsy,” Minnesota Summer League coach Ryan Saunders said. “He toughed it out, he was hurting, but he’s only got one more day and thankfully it’s the last day and we’re going to get to play.”
Jones shot 9-for-17 from the field in the game while also grabbing three rebounds and dishing out six assists.
With him running the floor, the Timberwolves have erased an ugly 0-3 start punctuated by a 99-68 loss to Cleveland.
Instead, 24th seeded Minnesota is riding a four-game winning streak into the championship game.
“We talked about the first playoff game, we want to keep playing, play more basketball,” Jones said. “In order to do that you have to win, and that’s something that we’ve been wanting to do.”
5:33 p.m.
The second semifinal at Thomas & Mack is underway, with Cleveland leading Chicago 29-25 after the first quarter.
Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg and Cavaliers coach Tyronn Lue are both in the arena watching their teams try to advance to the NBA Summer League title game.
Jordan McRae has 10 points for Cleveland.
4:56 p.m.
The Cinderella run continues.
The Timberwolves, seeded No. 24 in the tournament after an 0-3 start, are heading to the NBA Summer League Championship game.
Minnesota defeated Phoenix 93-83 at Thomas & Mack, outscoring the Suns 50-35 in the second half.
Tyus Jones scored a game-high 29 points for the Timberwolves playing through an arm injury, and Adreian Payne added 18.
4:08 p.m.
Tyus Jones is back on the court.
The Timberwolves point guard injured his arm late in the first half but started the second for Minnesota.
He has a wrap on his left hand.
3:59 p.m.
Timberwolves point guard Tyus Jones was injured at the end of the first half.
Jones attempted a layup with under a minute to play and landed awkwardly on his left arm. He stayed down while before getting up under his own power and staggering to the bench.
A towel is wrapped around his arm and he eventually headed to the locker room with the rest of his team. He has a game-high 18 points and Minnesota trails 48-43.
Jones’ former Duke teammates Jahlil Okafor and Justise Winslow are in Thomas & Mack to cheer him on. The three combined to deliver a national championship for the Blue Devils in 2015.
3:46 p.m.
Warriors forward Draymond Green is sitting courtside at Thomas & Mack.
Green is watching former Michigan State teammate Adreian Payne and the Timberwolves take on Phoenix in the tournament semis.
Bulls guard Denzel Valentine, another Spartans alumnus, came up and sat next to Green during the game. He will play in the next semifinal game against Cleveland.
The Suns lead 38-32 with less than three minutes to go in the first half.
3:26 p.m.
UNLV head men’s basketball coach Marvin Menzies is sitting courtside at Thomas & Mack taking in NBA Summer League semifinal action.
Duke associated head coach Jeff Capel is sitting under the basket, watching his old pupil Tyus Jones play for Minnesota.
The Timberwolves trail the Suns 23-19 after the first quarter. Jones has scored five points.
3:02 p.m.
The first NBA Summer League semifinal is underway.
No. 24 Minnesota is playing No. 5 Phoenix as Timberwolves coach Tom Thibodeau and GM Scott Layden watch from underneath the basket.
The game will feature a matchup between two of the tournament’s best point guards in Tyus Jones and Tyler Ulis.
2:10 p.m.
Both Phoenix and Minnesota have arrived and are getting in some pre-game shooting and stretching for their semifinal game which tips off at 3 p.m. Both team are without key players as Kris Dunn is not with the Timberwolves and Devin Booker is not with the Suns. Dragan Bender will also not play for Phoenix due to an ankle injury.
