LAS VEGAS – The Cavs will look to rebound from a rough summer league opener as they battle the Milwaukee Bucks today – Sunday, July 14 – at the Cox Pavilion in Las Vegas, Nevada. The matchup is available on multiple streaming services for free.
Today’s game will broadcast live on NBA TV with tipoff scheduled for 3:30 p.m. Eastern. (12:30 p.m. Pacific) Fans who have parted ways with their cable provider can catch the summer league squad at no cost by taking advantage of streaming alternatives like FuboTV or DirecTV Stream, which both offer free trials. Sling TV has promotional offers for new customers.
It’s hard to take too much away from the debacle that was the Cavs’ summer league opener. Cleveland, the defending summer league champions, was rocked from the opening tip and never really had a chance to establish a flow or defend their crown. They were soundly defeated by the Orlando Magic 106-79.
In the midst of the blowout, first round pick Jaylon Tyson and second-year forward Emoni Bates got the lion’s share of work.
Bates led the Cavs with 20 points on 7 of 17 shooting and three rebounds. He had light flashes in last year’s campaign. The brighter moments came in stints with the Cleveland Charge.
Eager to get his feet wet in the NBA, Tyson showed off his abilities with 15 points on 7 of 14 shooting while adding eight rebounds and two assists. It was a solid showing for the environment. The first step to the main roster.
Guard Craig Porter Jr. notched 10 points on 3 of 10 shooting while adding two assists, two steals and a rebound. He showed promise with the Cavs last year at times in the absence of Darius Garland.
Orlando’s Jett Howard and Anthony Black blitzed the Cavs for 42 combined points, helping fuel the rout. The Magic led by 21 points at halftime.
Cleveland, coached by Jordan Ott, is ready to turn the page on the dismal debut as they shift their attention to the next test. The Bucks are also coming off a loss, falling 96-89 to the Bulls. Milwaukee features Vin Baker Jr., Hugo Besson, Andre Jackson Jr, Chris Livingston, and MarJon Beauchamp.
What is the Cleveland Cavaliers summer league roster?
- Emoni Bates – Cleveland Cavaliers
- Darius Brown – Utah State
- DJ Burns – NC State
- Hunter Cattoor – Virginia Tech
- Dexter Dennis – Cleveland Charge
- Jayvon Graves – MHP Riesen Ludwigsburg
- Pete Nance – Cleveland Cavaliers
- Gabe Osabuohien – Cleveland Charge
- Craig Porter Jr. – Cleveland Cavaliers
- Zhaire Smith – Cleveland Charge
- Nae’Qwan Tomlin – Memphis
- Luke Travers – Melbourne United
- Jaylon Tyson – California
What is the Milwaukee Bucks summer league roster?
- James Akinjo – Wisconsin Herd
- Philip Alston – Loyola University
- Ibou Badji – Portland Trail Blazers
- Vin Baker Jr. – Randers Cimbria (Denmark)
- MarJon Beauchamp – Milwaukee Bucks
- Hugo Besson, guard – Pallacanestro Varese (Italy)
- Jamir Chaplin, guard – University of Arkansas at Little Rock
- Kihei Clark – Wisconsin Herd
- Devine Eke – Rivers Hoopers (Basketball Africa League)
- Jaylin Galloway – Milwaukee Bucks
- Andre Jackson Jr. – Milwaukee Bucks
- AJ Johnson – Milwaukee Bucks
- Jalen Lewis – Overtime Elite
- Chris Livingston – Milwaukee Bucks
- Justin Moore – Villanova
- Ade Murkey – Stockton Kings
- Ryan Rollins – Milwaukee Bucks
- Tyler Smith – Milwaukee Bucks
- TyTy Washington Jr. – Milwaukee Bucks
Here are more details about Cavs-Bucks and how to watch it via various TV and streaming options:
- What: NBA Summer League: Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Milwaukee Bucks
- When: Sunday, July 14, 2024
- Time: 3:30 p.m. Eastern
- Where: Cox Pavilion | Las Vegas, Nevada
- Channels: NBA TV
- Best streaming options: Fubo (free trial), DirecTV Stream (free trial) and Sling TV (half off first month)
- Cable Channel Finder: AT&T U-Verse, Comcast Xfinity, Spectrum/Charter, Optimum/Altice, Cox, DirecTv, Dish, Verizon Fios
Here’s more information on Tyson’s debut in the summer league from cleveland.com Cavs beat writer Chris Fedor.
LAS VEGAS — Cavs rookie Jaylon Tyson got his first taste of the NBA on Friday afternoon.
It was bitter.
The Cavs lost their summer league opener to the Orlando Magic, 106-79 — a margin that stayed double digits for nearly the duration.
“Got our you know what kicked,” Tyson said afterward. “But got the jitters out and that was good. First time playing together. It wasn’t a win like we were coming in here to do. But feel like we can learn from it and come back on Sunday and do what we’re supposed to do. I just want to come out here, get better and learn. Feel like I learned a little bit.”
The ultra confident Tyson, Cleveland’s No. 20 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, said he expected first-game nerves.
“This is the highest of highest levels against high-level athletes,” he explained. “I dreamed of this my whole life. I knew it was coming. I tried to talk out of it, but I knew it was coming.”
That anxiety vanished a few possessions into the game, as he found teammate Pete Nance for an open 3-pointer directly in front of a large Cavs contingent seated courtside that eventually featured new coach Kenny Atkinson, lead assistant Johnnie Bryant, Darius Garland, Jarrett Allen, Caris LeVert, Max Strus, Georges Niang and Sam Merrill.
After that early-game assist, the 21-year-old swingman was able to exhale.
“I was like, ‘Alright, bet, this is basketball. It ain’t Superman out here so we’re good,” Tyson said. “I did a couple uncharacteristic turnovers that I need to learn from. But today I felt a lot better, a lot better. Just finding my spots and now we are playing against people that don’t know our plays, so I felt a lot better today. I feel like I’m growing day by day.
“I don’t care about my stat line. I just want to make sure everybody knows I’m trying to play as hard as possible from start to finish. If I can look myself in the eye and say I gave it my all, I can leave here not as mad as I am right now.”
Tyson came to Vegas with hopes of winning a ring. But that likely requires the reigning summer league champs to run the table, beating Milwaukee, Golden State and the Los Angeles Lakers — the final three opponents on the schedule. In this tournament setup, the top four teams advance to the playoffs and each playoff team a year ago had no more than one loss, including the Cavs who went undefeated.
So, now the goal is to win out and see whether that’s enough. If not, Tyson is hoping to leave Las Vegas next week an improved player, with a better understanding of NBA basketball.
Summer league is where careers start. But it’s not where they are made.
“I think at times today his head was spinning,” said Jordan Ott, who recently joined Atkinson’s staff as an assistant and was chosen to lead the summer league squad. “He’d cut when he probably shouldn’t have cut. He turned it over when he probably shouldn’t have turned it over. In general, you can see his gifts, his talent and his skillset, especially offensively, that all make him an NBA combo guard. This is just the first step.”