By R.L. Bynum
Cormac Ryan and Pete Nance made strong impressions in their 2025 NBA Summer League debuts as the Milwaukee Bucks won their opener in Las Vegas 90–89 on Thursday night over the Denver Nuggets.
Ryan came off the bench to score 18 points, tied for the team-high, and tied the game on a reverse layup off a drive with 33 seconds left. Jamaree Bouyea won it for the Bucks on a buzzer-beating 3-pointer.
Ryan, who had 11 points at halftime, was 6 of 11 from the floor, making 3 of 6 3-point attempts and was a team-high +16. Nance started and collected 13 points, seven rebounds and four assists.
Ryan, who averaged 12.4 minutes and 4.7 points in seven Summer League games last season for Oklahoma City, played for the Oklahoma City Blue in the G League last season, averaging 12.3 points and shooting 38.4% from 3-point range.
This is Nance’s third consecutive year in the Summer League after playing the previous two years for Cleveland. In 11 Summer League games over those two years, he averaged 8.2 points and 4.4 rebounds. He played 13 NBA games last season for Philadelphia and Milwaukee, averaging 2.9 points in 13 games. In 21 G League games last season, he averaged 14.2 points and 6.3 rebounds.
Harrison Ingram started and collected seven points, six rebounds and four assists and was +24 in the San Antonio Spurs’ 111–70 blowout of the Philadelphia 76ers. He was 3 of 7 from the floor and scored a 3-pointer.
There was a massive spotlight on the Dallas Mavericks’ 87–85 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers because of the pro debut of former Duke star Cooper Flagg. Flagg, as well as the Lakers’ RJ Davis, had tough shooting nights as Roy Williams was one of many luminaries in the stands.
Flagg scored 10 points on 5 of 21 shooting, and Davis had three points on 1 of 4 shooting from the floor. Davis missed both 3-point attempts and was 1 of 3 from the free-throw line, playing just under 7½ minutes, easily the fewest in four Summer League games. At one point, he shot a layup attempt that went over the backboard.
For the first time in four Summer League games with Oklahoma City, Kerwin Walton finally got into a game. He only played 51 seconds, though, in the Thunder’s 90–51 victory over the Brooklyn Nets and didn’t score.
Former Tar Heels playing their first Las Vegas Summer League games on Friday will be:
— Armando Bacot (with Memphis Grizzlies, who play the Boston Celtics at 4 p.m., NBATV),
— Leaky Black (with Washington Wizards, who play the Boston Celtics at 9 p.m., ESPN),
— Garrison Brooks and Dawson Garcia (with Detroit Pistons, who play the New York Knicks at 6 p.m., NBATV), and
— Caleb Love and Justin McKoy (with the Portland Trail Blazers, who play the Golden State Warriors at 11 p.m., ESPN2)
Summer League Tar Heels
Memphis Grizzlies schedule (Armando Bacot)
Games in Salt Lake City
July 5: Grizzlies 92, Thunder 80
– Bacot: started; 16:25, 9 points, 2–2 FG, 5–6 FT, 5 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 1 block, 1 turnovers, 2 fouls, -2
July 7: Jazz 112, Grizzlies 111
– Bacot: started; 16:45, 6 points, 3–5 FG, 5 rebounds, 1 steal, 2 block, 1 turnovers, 6 fouls, -4
Tuesday, July 8: Sixers 91, Grizzlies 90
– Bacot: Didn’t play (coach’s decision)
Games in Las Vegas
Friday, July 11, vs. Boston, 4 p.m., NBATV
Saturday, July 12, vs. Portland, 10:30 p.m., ESPN2
Tuesday, July 15, vs. Golden State, 10:30 p.m., NBATV
Thursday, July 17, vs. Atlanta, 6 p.m., NBATV
Washington Wizards schedule (Leaky Black)
Games in Las Vegas
Friday, July 11, vs. Phoenix, 9 p.m., ESPN
Sunday, July 13, vs. Brooklyn, 8 p.m., ESPN2
Tuesday, July 15, vs. Philadelphia, NBATV
Wednesday, July 16, vs. Utah, ESPN
Los Angeles Lakers schedule (RJ Davis)
Games in San Francisco
July 5: Warriors 89, Lakers 84
– Davis: didn’t start; 13:01, 2 points, 1–7 FG, 0–3 3PFG, 1 rebound, 1 assist, 1 foul, =/- of 0
July 6: Lakers 103, Heat 83
– Davis: didn’t start; 12:18, 5 points, 2–3 FG, 1–2 3PFG, 1 rebound, team-high tying 4 assists, 2 turnovers, +6
Tuesday, July 8: Lakers 89, Spurs 88
– Davis: didn’t start; 13:30, 4 points, 2–6 FG, 0–3 3FG, 3 assists, 1 steal, 2 turnovers, 2 fouls, +1
Games in Las Vegas
Thursday, July 10: Mavericks 87, Lakers 85
– Davis: didn’t start; 7:28, 1–4 FG, 0–2 3FG, 1–3 FT, 1 assist, 3 fouls, -13
Saturday, July 12, vs. New Orleans, 8:30, ESPN2
Monday, July 14, vs. Los Angeles Clippers, 10:30, NBATV
Thursday, July 17, vs. Boston, 9 p.m., ESPN
Detroit Pistons schedule (Garrison Brooks and Dawson Garcia)
Games in Las Vegas
Friday, July 11, vs. New York, 6 p.m., NBATV
Sunday, July 13, vs. Houston, 4 p.m., ESPN2
Tuesday, July 15, vs. Minnesota, 4:30, NBATV
Thursday, July 17, vs. Miami, NBATV
San Antonio Spurs schedule (Harrison Ingram)
Games in San Francisco
July 5: Heat 82, Spurs 69
— Ingram: started, 12:25, 3 points, 1–7 FG, 1–3 3FG, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 steals, +3
July 6: Spurs 90, Warriors 88
— Ingram: started, 14:23, 8 points, 2–5 FG, 0–1 3FG, 4–5 FT, 6 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals, 2 turnovers, 1 foul, +/- of 0
Tuesday, July 8: Lakers 89, Spurs 88
— Ingram: started, 22:02, 2 points, 1–7 FG, 0–1 3FG, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, 1 block, 1 turnover, 4 fouls, +3
Games in Las Vegas
Thursday, July 10: Spurs 111, Sixers 70
— Ingram: started, 19:25, 7 points, 3–7 FG, 1–3 3FG, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal, 1 turnover, 2 fouls, +24
Saturday, July 12, vs. Dallas, ESPN
Monday, July 14, vs. Utah, 8:30, NBATV
Thursday, July 17, vs. Charlotte, ESPN
Portland Trail Blazers schedule (Caleb Love and Justin McKoy)
Games in Las Vegas
Friday, July 11, vs Golden State, 11 p.m., ESPN2
Saturday, July 12, vs. Memphis, 10:30, ESPN2
Tuesday, July 15, vs. New Orleans, 10 p.m., ESPN
Thursday, July 17, vs. Houston, 8 p.m., NBATV
Milwaukee Bucks schedule (Pete Nance and Cormac Ryan)
Games in Las Vegas
Thursday, July 10: Bucks 90, Nuggets 89
— Ryan: didn’t start; 22:21, 18 points, 6–11 FG, 3–6 3FG, 3–3 FT, 2 assists, 1 steal, 1 turnover, 2 fouls, team-high +16
— Nance: started; 26:44, 13 points, 4–9, 2–6 3FG, 3–5 FT, 7 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal, 1 block, 3 turnovers, +6
Saturday, July 12, vs. Cleveland, 3:30 p.m., NBATV
Sunday, July 13, vs. Los Angeles Clippers, 9:30 p.m., NBATV
Wednesday, July 16, vs. Chicago, 5:30, ESPN2
Oklahoma City Thunder schedule (Kerwin Walton)
Games in Salt Lake City
July 5: Grizzlies 92, Thunder 80
— Walton: Did not play (coach’s decision)
July 7: Thunder 89, Sixers 78
— Walton: Did not play (coach’s decision)
Tuesday, July 8: Jazz 86, Thunder 82
— Walton: Did not play (coach’s decision)
Games in Las Vegas
Thursday, July 10: Thunder 90, Nets 81
— Walton: 51 seconds, 1 foul, -1
Saturday, July 12, vs. Indiana, 4:30, NBATV
Tuesday, July 15, vs. Orlando, 5:30, NBATV
Wednesday, July 16, vs. New Orleans, 8:30, NBATV
Photo via @Bucks
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