Zion Williamson, Pelicans in NBA Summer League opening night
NBA Summer League fans won’t have to wait long to see No. 1 draft pick Zion Williamson in a marquee matchup.
He and the New Orleans Pelicans will take the court on the event’s opening day against the New York Knicks and No. 3 pick RJ Barrett on July 5 at 6:30 p.m. The game at the Thomas & Mack Center will be televised on ESPN.
All 30 NBA teams will compete in the Summer League, which announced its schedule Friday, at the Thomas & Mack and Cox Pavilion for the second year in a row. The Chinese and Croatian national teams also will participate.
Every game will be televised on an ESPN outlet or NBA TV.
Each team will play four games, and then the top eight will be seeded into a tournament. The championship game is July 15 at 6 p.m. and will be shown on ESPN2. Those who do not qualify for the tournament will each play a consolation, guaranteeing each team at least five games.
The Portland Trail Blazers won last year’s tournament, defeating the Los Angeles Lakers 91-73 in the title game.
A record 139,972 watched last year’s Summer League games. That record was set over a 12-day period. This year’s event is a day shorter, so breaking the mark won’t be easy even with a cross-over star like Williamson as an attraction.
Contact Mark Anderson at manderson@reviewjournal.com. Follow @markanderson65 on Twitter.
Las Vegas Summer League schedule
Friday, July 5
Cox Pavilion
Noon – Croatia vs. Detroit (NBA TV)
2 p.m. – Cleveland vs. Minnesota (NBA TV)
4 p.m. – Brooklyn vs. Dallas (NBA TV)
6 p.m. – Golden State vs. Charlotte (NBA TV)
8 p.m. – San Antonio vs. Orlando (NBA TV)
Thomas & Mack Center
12:30 p.m. – Milwaukee vs. Philadelphia (ESPN2)
2:30 p.m. – China vs. Miami (ESPNU)
4:30 p.m. – Chicago vs. Los Angeles Lakers (ESPN)
6:30 p.m. – New Orleans vs. New York (ESPN)
8:30 p.m. – Denver vs. Phoenix (ESPN)
Saturday, July 6
Cox Pavilion
Noon – Utah vs. Oklahoma City (NBA TV)
2 p.m. – Milwaukee vs. Atlanta (NBA TV)
4 p.m. – Indiana vs. Memphis (NBA TV)
6 p.m. – Houston vs. Dallas (NBA TV)
8 p.m. – China vs. Sacramento (NBA TV)
Thomas & Mack Center
12:30 p.m. – Detroit vs. Portland (ESPNU)
2:30 p.m. – Philadelphia vs. Boston (ESPN)
4:30 p.m. – Los Angeles Lakers vs. Los Angeles Clippers (ESPNU)
6:30 p.m. – Washington vs. New Orleans (ESPN)
8:30 p.m. – Golden State vs. Toronto (ESPN)
Sunday, July 7
Cox Pavilion
1 p.m. – Croatia vs. Brooklyn (NBA TV)
3 p.m. – Orlando vs. Denver (NBA TV)
5 p.m. – Miami vs. Utah (NBA TV)
7 p.m. – Portland vs. Houston (NBA TV)
Thomas & Mack Center
12:30 p.m. – Charlotte vs. San Antonio (ESPN2)
2:30 p.m. – Atlanta vs. Minnesota (ESPN2)
4:30 p.m. – Cleveland vs. Chicago (ESPN)
6:30 p.m. – Phoenix vs. New York (ESPN)
8:30 p.m. – Los Angeles Clippers vs. Memphis (ESPN2)
Monday, July 8
Cox Pavilion
Noon – Philadelphia vs. Oklahoma City (ESPNU)
2 p.m. – Detroit vs. Indiana (ESPNU)
4 p.m. – Toronto vs. Milwaukee (ESPNU)
6 p.m. – Minnesota vs. San Antonio (ESPNU)
8 p.m. – Charlotte vs. China (ESPNU)
Thomas & Mack Center
12:30 p.m. – Dallas vs. Sacramento (NBA TV)
2:30 p.m. – Brooklyn vs. Washington (NBA TV)
4:30 p.m. – Boston vs. Cleveland (NBA TV)
6:30 p.m. – Chicago vs. New Orleans (NBA TV)
8:30 p.m. – Los Angeles Lakers vs. Golden State (NBA TV)
Tuesday, July 9
Cox Pavilion
1 p.m. – Orlando vs. Miami (ESPN2)
3 p.m. – Utah vs. Portland (ESPN2)
5 p.m. – Boston vs. Denver (ESPN2)
7 p.m. – Houston vs. Sacramento (ESPN2)
Thomas & Mack Center
12:30 p.m. – Oklahoma City vs. Croatia (NBA TV)
2:30 p.m. – Atlanta vs. Indiana (NBA TV)
4:30 p.m. – Memphis vs. Phoenix (NBA TV)
6:30 p.m. – Toronto vs. New York (NBA TV)
8:30 p.m. – Washington vs. Los Angeles Clippers (NBA TV)
Wednesday, July 10
Cox Pavilion
Noon – Detroit vs. Philadelphia (NBA TV)
2 p.m. – Chicago vs. Charlotte (NBA TV)
4 p.m. – Miami vs. Minnesota (NBA TV)
6 p.m. – Phoenix vs. San Antonio (NBA TV)
8 p.m. – Milwaukee vs. China (NBA TV)
Thomas & Mack Center
12:30 p.m. – Dallas vs. Croatia (ESPNU)
2:30 p.m. – Brooklyn vs. Orlando (ESPNU)
4:30 p.m. – New Orleans vs. Cleveland (ESPN2)
6:30 p.m. – New York vs. Los Angeles Lakers (ESPN2)
8:30 p.m. – Denver vs. Golden State (ESPNU)
Thursday, July 11
Cox Pavilion
3 p.m. – Indiana vs. Toronto (NBA TV)
5 p.m. – Oklahoma City vs. Portland (NBA TV)
7 p.m. – Los Angeles Clippers vs. Sacramento (NBA TV)
Thomas & Mack Center
3:30 p.m. – Washington vs. Atlanta (ESPN2)
5:30 p.m. – Houston vs. Utah (ESPNU)
7:30 p.m. – Memphis vs. Boston (ESPN2)
Friday, July 12
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. (NBA TV)
Thomas & Mack Center: 1:30 p.m., 3:30 p.m., 5:30 p.m., 7:30 p.m. (ESPNU)
Saturday, July 13
Consolation games will take place at the below times and location:
Cox Pavilion: 1 p.m., 3 p.m., 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. (NBA TV)
Quarterfinal tournament games will take place at the below times and location:
Thomas & Mack Center: 1:30 p.m. (ESPN), 3:30 p.m. (ESPN), 5:30 p.m. (ESPN), 7:30 p.m. (ESPN2)
Sunday, July 14
Semifinal tournament games will take place at the below times and location:
Thomas & Mack: 2:30 p.m. (ESPN2) and 4:30 p.m. (ESPN2)
Monday, July 15
Thomas & Mack Center
Championship, 6 p.m. (ESPN2)
