NBA Summer League 2019: What to watch during the semifinals of the Vegas Summer League

Gilbert McGregor

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NBA Summer League 2019: What to watch during the semifinals of the Vegas Summer League image

And then there were four.

The 2019 MGM Resorts NBA Summer League continues on Day 10 with four teams vying for an opportunity to play in tomorrow's championship. To open, the No. 8 Memphis Grizzlies take on the No. 4 New Orleans Pelicans, who earned a one-point overtime win over the Heat in the quarterfinals.

The second semifinal game is between No. 7 Brooklyn Nets and the No. 3 Minnesota Timberwolves. The Wolves advanced by cruising past the Mavericks while the Nets earned a dominant win over the Pistons.

For more on who and what to watch in each game, we've got you covered below.

No. 8 Memphis Grizzlies vs. No. 4 New Orleans Pelicans

No. 21 overall pick Brandon Clarke is coming off of an 18-point, 12-rebound double-double in the Grizzlies' win over the Celtics in the semifinals.


Through four games, Clarke is averaging 12.5 points, 7.3 rebounds and 1.8 blocks to lead the way for Memphis along with Tyler Harvey, who scored 20 points against Boston and is averaging a team-high 14.6 points per game in Vegas.

The Pelicans have been on a roll since officially acquiring rookies Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Jaxson Hayes and Didi Louzada. Alexander-Walker, who scored a game-high 34 points in the team's win over the Heat, is averaging 27.7 points, 6.3 assists, 4.0 rebounds and 2.7 steals through three games while Hayes has averaged an extremely efficient 18.7 points (on 60.5% shooting) to go along with 7.7 rebounds per game.


The young duo of Alexander-Walker and Hayes will go toe-to-toe with Harvey and Clarke, who look to lead Memphis to their second-straight win over a higher-seeded opponent. The Pelicans roster has the last two Summer League MVPs in Josh Hart and Lonzo Ball, and another solid performance from Alexander-Walker could sure up his case to be the third.

No. 7 Brooklyn Nets vs. No. 3 Minnesota Timberwolves

Jarrett Allen started in games for the Nets this postseason, so it makes sense that the big man has been dominant in Vegas as he prepares for his third year in the league. As Brooklyn cruised past Detroit with a 108-85 win, Allen posted a monster 30-point, 11-rebound double-double to go along with two blocks. He enters the meeting with Minnesota averaging 16.8 points (on 61.9% shooting) to go along with 9.8 rebounds and 2.3 blocks per game this summer.


After a busy offseason for the Nets, Allen's reps as the man should do wonders as he looks to play a big role on the interior.

For the Wolves, it's been a balanced effort, as six different players that have appeared in all five games are averaging at least 10 points per game, led by Kelan Martin's 13.2 points per game (on 52.1% shooting). Like Brooklyn, Minnesota advanced to the semifinals in dominant fashion with a 26-point win over Dallas; Martin led all scorers with 23 points off the bench, connecting on five of his nine 3-point attempts.


Barry Brown Jr. (14), Mitch Creek (12), Jordan Murphy (12) and Naz Reid (12) also scored in double figures. Josh Okogie, Minnesota's first-round pick in 2018, exited the game with a lower leg injury and his status for the semifinals is unknown.

Reid and second-year forward Keita Bates-Diop will look to neutralize Allen on the inside as the Timberwolves try to remain undefeated to advance to the championship.

Gilbert McGregor

Gilbert McGregor Photo

Gilbert McGregor first joined The Sporting News in 2018 as a content producer for Global editions of NBA.com. Before covering the game, McGregor played basketball collegiately at Wake Forest, graduating with a Communication degree in 2016. McGregor began covering the NBA during the 2017-18 season and has been on hand for a number of league events.