The NBA Summer League rolls on Monday night, and we’re going to key on two late-night games. Well, it’s late night if you’re on the East Coast. The Phoenix Suns and Milwaukee Bucks meet at 10:00 p.m. ET at Cox Pavilion, and the game can be viewed or streamed on Amazon Prime Video. At 11:00 p.m. ET, the Minnesota Timberwolves and Portland Trail Blazers meet at the Thomas & Mack Center on ESPN2. Let’s build our bankroll with our best NBA Summer League picks and predictions for Monday, July 13th.
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Monday’s Best NBA Summer League Picks & Predictions
(Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook)
Phoenix Suns (-175) at Milwaukee Bucks (+145) | O/U 176.5 (-108/-112)
The Suns (1-1) meet the Bucks (0-2) at Cox Pavilion in Las Vegas at 10:00 p.m. ET. Phoenix is coming off a low-scoring 81-75 loss to the New Orleans Pelicans on Sunday, while Milwaukee was dropped 90-80 by the San Antonio Spurs.
In Sunday’s game, the Suns shot just 39% (28-of-72), including a dismal 20% (6-of-30) from behind the three-point line. Phoenix also had its issues at the free-throw line, making only 57% of their attempts (8-of-14). In addition, the Suns were-5 in rebounding differential and posted just a +1 turnover margin, despite still having 18 miscues.
Darius Brown II was a bright spot for Phoenix, as he shot a solid 7-of-12 from the floor and 3-of-7 from downtown, ending up with 18 points, five rebounds, four assists and a steal, while Khaman Maluach and Rasheer Fleming were both good for a pair of blocks. Maluach also hauled in 15 rebounds while shooting 5-of-9 from the field, ending up with 15 points.
The Bucks slipped to 0-2, but not because of the efforts of former University of Arizona standout Brayden Burries. He was electric, going 9-of-16 from the field, hitting 4-of-5 from behind the three-point line, while finishing with a game-high 26 points. He also chipped in with three rebounds, three assists, three steals and two blocks.
However, the other four starters each scored eight or fewer points, which isn’t going to cut the mustard, although Kasparas Jakucionis was good for four assists and four steals. Cormac Ryan finished with a surprising 15 points off the bench, with four steals.
The Suns are a little deeper, and that’s why Phoenix is the play on Monday night, especially with Maluach making noise on the glass and Brown holding it down at the perimeter. We’ll go low on the total, as both teams played lower-scoring games and are each playing on no rest.
Picks: Suns -3.5 (-115) & Under 176.5 Points (-112)
Minnesota Timberwolves (-218) at Portland Trail Blazers (+180) | O/U 181.5 (-112/-108)
The Timberwolves (1-1) and the Trail Blazers (0-2) meet at Thomas & Mack Center on the campus of UNLV. This is a game you’re going to want to take advantage of.
First off, Minnesota has not played since Saturday afternoon. Yes, they were trucked 101-82 by the Denver Nuggets, but they’ve been rested. The Trail Blazers suffered a 112-105 loss in overtime against the Orlando Magic on Sunday, and that’s a very tough turnaround.
Portland was productive on Sunday, and the game featured 17 lead changes. While the Trail Blazers are winless in two Summer League games, it’s not by lack of trying.
Portland shot just 37% (31-of-84) from the field on Sunday, and it was an equal 37% (15-of-41) from behind the three-point line. It was able to outrebound Orlando by a +4 margin, but the Magic had nine blocks to just two for the Trail Blazers, and Portland had three more turnovers, committing 22 total miscues. It had just nine steals, too, while Orlando posted 14.
The Trail Blazers were led by Jayson Kent, who finished with 20 points, including three treys. He added eight rebounds, including four on the offensive end. The other four starters were Andrew Carr, Frankie Fidler, DJ Steward and Chris Youngblood. No offense to them, but that might be the weakest lineup in Vegas. It’s like the Circus Circus of Summer League rosters.
The Timberwolves hit just 36% (27-of-76) from the field and 25% (8-of-32) from downtown, so the extra day to rest and regroup was needed. Minnesota had a -4 turnover ratio, which isn’t ideal, but it had six blocks to Denver’s four, showing off a little size. Rocco Zikarsky had four blocks in the starting lineup, and he was one of four starters to grab at least five boards.
The Timberwolves have the likes of Zyon Pullin, who posted 24 points, and Isaiah Evans. The latter was a dismal 2-of-15 from the field and 0-for-9 from behind the arc, but he is still a guy who will do big things when he is on. Trey Kaufman-Renn, the former Purdue standout, provides some depth off the bench, as does Jaylin Williams. Nate Santos caught fire with four three-pointers off the bench, finishing with 14 points.
Minnesota is deeper and more rested. Let’s take them to take advantage of the Trail Blazers because of the quick turnaround, and we’ll go low on the total, as Portland might have some rubber legs.
Picks: Timberwolves -5.5 (-108) & Under 181.5 Points (-108)
