Minneapolis/St. Paul – TheMinnesota Timberwolves announced the team's four-game preliminary round schedule for the MGM Resorts NBA Summer League 2019 in Las Vegas. The Wolves begin their Summer League slate with a contest against the Cleveland Cavaliers on July 5 at Cox Pavilion.
Timberwolves preliminary round schedule:
DATE OPPONENT LOCATION TIP (CT) TV
July 5 Cleveland Cox Pavilion 4:00 p.m. NBA TV
July 7 Atlanta Thomas & Mack 4:30 p.m. ESPN2
July 8 San Antonio Cox Pavilion 8:00 p.m. ESPNU
July 10 Miami Cox Pavilion 6:00 p.m. NBATV
This summer will mark the 13th NBA Summer League in Las Vegas appearance for the Wolves (2006-10, 2012-19) where they are 29-34 all-time. A year ago, the Wolves went 3-2 in Summer League play.
From July 5-15, all 30 NBA teams along with the Chinese and Croatian National Teams for the first time, will participate in the 11-day, 83-game league which culminates in a tournament-style format to crown the NBA Summer League Champion. Teams will compete in four preliminary games beginning on July 5 before being seeded in a tournament that leads to the Championship Game on July 15. Each team will play at least five games and as many as seven in Las Vegas at the Thomas & Mack Center and Cox Pavilion on the campus of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. The first day of action will include five games on NBA TV and a tripleheader on ESPN.
The tournament-style format will culminate with the Championship Game on July 15 at 8 p.m. CT on ESPN. Last year’s event was won by the Portland Trail Blazers who went undefeated (7-0) during NBA Summer League after defeating the Los Angeles Lakers 91-73 in the championship game. The Lakers’ Josh Hart was named Most Valuable Player after averaging 24.2 points (on 47.1 percent shooting from the field), 5.2 rebounds and 1.5 steals in six games.
For the third-consecutive year, ESPN will present every game from Las Vegas via the ESPN App, along with 43 games on its linear television channels (ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPNU). Last year’s NBA Summer League set records for total attendance, combined viewership across ESPN and NBA TV, and traffic to the NBA’s social and digital platforms, in addition to matching the single-day attendance record.
NBA TV, co-managed by the NBA and Turner Sports, will air a record 40 games, beginning with the MGM Resorts NBA Summer League opener when the Croatian National Team, making its event debut, squares off against the Detroit Pistons on July 5 at 2 p.m. CT. NBA TV’s coverage of Day 1 will also feature a 4 p.m. CT game between the Wolves and the Cleveland Cavaliers, who selected Darius Garland with the fifth pick in NBA Draft 2019 presented by State Farm.
Tickets for MGM Resorts NBA Summer League 2019 are on sale now. Fans can purchase tickets by visiting NBATickets.com.