Minneapolis/St. Paul – The Minnesota Timberwolves today announced the team's three-game preliminary round schedule for the MGM Resorts NBA Summer League 2018 in Las Vegas. The Wolves, who own the No. 20 selection in next week’s 2018 NBA Draft, begin their schedule with a contest against the Denver Nuggets, who own the No. 14 pick, on July 6 at Cox Pavilion.
From July 6-17, all 30 NBA teams will participate in the 12-day, 82-game league which culminates in a tournament-style format to crown the NBA Summer League Champion. Teams will compete in three preliminary games beginning on July 6 before being seeded in a tournament that leads to the Championship Game on July 17. Each team will play at least five games in Las Vegas.
This summer will mark the 12th NBA Summer League in Las Vegas appearance for the Wolves (2006-10, 2012-18) where they are 26-32 all-time. A year ago, the Wolves went 3-2 in Summer League play.
MGM Resorts NBA Summer League 2018, which features all 30 NBA teams for the first time, will tip off with a record 10 games on Friday, July 6 and continue through Tuesday, July 17 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 17 at 9 p.m. CT on ESPN. Last year’s event, won by the Los Angeles Lakers behind 2017 Summer League MVP Lonzo Ball and 2017-18 NBA All-Rookie First Team selection Kyle Kuzma, set records for total attendance, single-day attendance, combined viewership across ESPN and NBA TV, and traffic to the NBA’s social and digital platforms.
For the second consecutive year, ESPN will present every game from Las Vegas via the ESPN App, along with a record 46 games on its linear television channels (ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPNU).
NBA TV, co-managed by the NBA and Turner Sports, will air 36 games, beginning with the Summer League opener on July 6 when the Indiana Pacers, making their event debut, square off against the Houston Rockets at 2 p.m. CT. NBA TV’s coverage of Day 1 will also feature a 4 p.m. CT game between the Brooklyn Nets and the Orlando Magic, which selects sixth in the June 21 NBA Draft, as well as a 8 p.m. CT matchup between the Washington Wizards and the Cleveland Cavaliers, owners of the eighth draft pick.
Tickets for MGM Resorts NBA Summer League 2018 are on sale now. Fans can purchase tickets by visiting NBATickets.com.
The entire Timberwolves preliminary round schedule is as follows:
DATE OPPONENT LOCATION TIP (CT) TV
July 6 Denver Cox Pavilion 10:00 p.m. NBA TV
July 8 Toronto Cox Pavilion 2:00 p.m. NBA TV
July 9 Brooklyn Cox Pavilion 10:00 p.m. ESPNU