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Live Updates: 2026 NBA Summer League, Day 1 | Pistons-76ers underway at Cox Pavilion

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RayJ Dennis and the Atlanta Hawks are facing the San Antonio Spurs on ESPN2 as the 2026 NBA Summer League gets going.

Welcome to 2026 NBA Summer League!

All 30 NBA teams have sent squads of rookie, sophomores and NBA hopefuls, ready to vie for the Summer League championship and get a look at the fresh talents of the Association.

The Timberwolves pulled away from the Pelicans late to open our summer action, led by Zyon Pullin (24 pts, 8 reb, 12 ast).

In our second game of the day, the San Antonio Spurs and Atlanta Hawks, featuring No. 8 pick Kingston Flemings, face off (4:30 ET, ESPN2).

Eastern Conference stalwarts tip it off in the third, as the Detroit Pistons play the Philadelphia 76ers, led by No. 22 pick Labaron Philon (5 ET, Prime).

JULY 9 / 6:00 p.m. ET

Hawks lead 71-51 after three

Kingston Flemings (5 pts, 5 ast) slashed to the rack for two as the third quarter wound down for Atlanta, showing the burst and quickness that made him the No. 8 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft.

Atlanta has 19 assists on 24 made field goals, earning an 18-11 advantage in fast break points. They’ve led by as many as 22 points in this contest.

JULY 9 / 5:47 p.m. ET

Labaron Philon, the No. 22 pick, highlights this game’s action, along with 76ers teammate Johni Broome, who won the Karl Malone Award as the nation’s top power forward in his senior year at Auburn.

JULY 9 / 5:42 p.m. ET

Timberwolves win 105-92

Zyon Pullin (24 pts on 6-of-14 shooting, 8 reb, 12 ast) had a tremendous start to his summer league, helping the Timberwolves pull away from the Pelicans late to earn their first win in Vegas.

“Just stay with it. Just keep bringing the intensity,” said Pullin. “Keep sticking together, keep getting the shots we want and playing well defensively.”

Joan Belinger (18 pts, 12 reb, 4 blk) showed his athleticism and drive for the Wolves as well, helping them earn a 48-34 advantage in points in the paint.

Kobe Bufkin (30 pts) and Markquis Nowell (20 pts, 4 reb, 6 ast, 5 stl) powered the offense for New Orleans.

Both teams shot it well from 3-point range — the Timberwolves at 42.4%, the Pelicans at 40%.

JULY 9 / 5:37 p.m. ET

Hawks lead 50-40 early in the third

We’ve got a nice battle between Tarris Reed Jr. (12 pts, 8 reb) and Zuby Ejiofor (10 pts, 3 reb, 2 ast) in the Thomas & Mack Center, as two talented big men go at it.

Isaac McKneely (8 pts, 2 3PM) has complemented Ejofor, as the Hawks have led wire-to-wire so far.

McKneely attended Virginia and Louisville and was named West Virginia Gatorade Player of the Year in his junior and senior years of high school.

Asa Newell also showed some old-school flair on this finger roll finish.

JULY 9 / 5:22 p.m. ET

Beringer gets downhill

The 6-foot-11 Joan Beringer (17 pts, 10 reb, 4 blk) just took a handoff at the top of the arc and slashed his way to the rim, showing meaningful handle and coordination for a modern NBA big.

“He’s just able to turn it downhill and finish through contact against a big body,” said Stan Van Gundy.

89-76 Timberwolves with 4:49 to go in the game.

JULY 9 / 5:04 p.m. ET

Timberwolves up 72-71 after three

Zyon Pullin (20 pts, 5 reb, 8 ast) leads the way for Minnesota, backed up by Nate Santos (14 pts) and Joan Beringer (13 pts, 8 reb).

Kobe Bufkin (22 pts) is the top man for New Orleans.

The game’s seen 12 lead changes and seven ties, as these teams seek to take the initiative in the 2026 NBA Summer League.

JULY 9 / 4:44 p.m. ET

Tarris Reed Jr. off to a hot start

The No. 26 pick out of UConn is rolling early (8 pts, 3 reb), as he looks to establish himself around the rim against the Hawks’ Zuby Ejiofor — the reigning Big East Defensive Player of the Year — and Henri Veesar.

Reed Jr. has a soft touch and some post moves, which he can use to rack up buckets quickly. He averaged 19.5 points and 13.2 rebounds in the 2026 NCAA men’s basketball tournament.

JULY 9 / 4:36 p.m. ET

Spurs–Hawks underway on ESPN2

We’ve got a battle of established Summer League teams here — the Spurs were 0-3 in the California Classic, albeit competitive, while the Hawks were 2-1 in the Salt Lake City Summer League.

Watch Ja’Kobi Gillespie, who led Tennessee to the Final Four, of San Antonio, taking on No. 8 Kingston Flemings of Atlanta.

JULY 9 / 4:35 p.m. ET

Tied at 46 at the half

Kobe Bufkin (21 pts) is leading New Orleans, while Zyon Pullin (12 pts, 5 reb, 7 ast, 1 stl, 1 blk) is keying Minnesota so far in this competitive contest.

Joan Beringer (10 pts, 5 reb) also flashed for New Orleans, which is shooting 8-for-18 (44.4%) from 3-point range.

“I tried to play my game,” said Beringer. “I just try to play hard… help the team with high energy.”

JULY 9 / 4:25 p.m. ET

Pullin putting up numbers

Zyon Pullin’s (12 pts, 5 reb, 7 ast) is on triple-double watch, as he looks to earn a roster spot with the Timberwolves.

Pullin averaged 27.8 ppg, 5.1 reb and 6.7 ast over 11 G League games with the Iowa Wolves in 2025-26.

“I’m going to be shocked if Zyon Pullin is not on an NBA roster in this coming year,” said Stan Van Gundy, a fellow native of Northern California.

46-38 Timberwolves with 1:37 to go in the half.

JULY 9 / 4:00 p.m. ET

Pelicans lead 25-24 after one

Kobe Bufkin (14 pts) and Zyon Pullin (10 pts) are dueling in the desert, as we’ve seen five lead changes and two ties in the first quarter of the opening game of the 2026 NBA Summer League.

Joan Beringer (6 pts, 3 reb, 1 ast) led the Timberwolves to a 10-2 advantage in points in the paint.

Both teams are moving the rock — six assists on eight field goals for the Wolves, seven on eight field goals for the Pelicans.

JULY 9 / 3:57 p.m. ET

Bufkin getting buckets

Kobe Bufkin (12 pts) picked up back-to-back 4-point play opportunities here as the first quarter winds down, showing the form that netted him 25.0 ppg in the G League last season.

Bufkin played 16 games for the Los Angeles Lakers as well in 2025-26, scoring 2.9 ppg in 7.4 mpg.

JULY 9 / 3:44 p.m. ET

The Nowell no-look

A little razzle-dazzle as we get started in Vegas.

Markquis Nowell, who was born in New York City, played his high school basketball at St. Anthony’s in Jersey City, N.J. under Hall of Fame coach Bob Hurley Sr.

16-15 Timberwolves with 3:36 to go in the first quarter.

JULY 9 / 3:31 p.m. ET

Beringer opens the scoring

Timberwolves’ big Joan Beringer gets the first bucket of the 2026 NBA Summer League, putting in a little jump hook.

The Wolves will assess how he looks next to a center, Stan Van Gundy noted, as he partners in the frontcourt with the 7-foot-3 Australian Rocco Zikarsky.

JULY 9 / 2:45 p.m. ET

The Timberwolves roster is highlighted by Joan Beringer, the young French center who’s flashed for Minnesota in limited minutes, as well as March Madness hero Trey Kaufman-Renn.

The Pelicans feature No. 58 pick Jaron Pierre Jr. and Kobe Bufkin, the 15th pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, as well as sparkplug point guard Markquis Nowell.

JULY 9 / 2:30 p.m. ET

Learn more about the rookies

Before the summer action heats up, check out scouting reports on the 2026 NBA Draft class on our prospects page.

JULY 9 / 2:15 p.m. ET

New rule in play for Summer League

This summer, we’ll be testing the one free throw rule, which has been in place in the G League since the 2019-20 season.

The G League and Summer League have often served as testing labs for the league before bringing rule changes or amended policies into NBA games.

Among those that started at those levels and eventually got to the NBA: the coaches’ challenge, resetting the 24-second shot clock to 14 seconds in offensive rebound situations and the one-shot award for a transition take foul — which is when a defender intentionally commits a foul to halt a transition opportunity for the opposition.

The 2026 Summer League will also use a “connected basketball,” which contains a sensor that detects contact with the ball.

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