Who: Summer Suns vs. Summer Bucks
When: 7:00pm Arizona Time
Where: Cox Pavilion, Las Vegas, Nevada
Watch: Arizona Family Sports, Amazon Prime
LAS VEGAS — We are in the dog days of summer…league! Typical sideline reporters are calling nationally televised games, many stand sections are not filled to the brim, and many high level NBA members are slowly departing from Las Vegas.
But Bright Side is there and will be giving exclusive live updates from the game!
After a close 81-75 loss to the New Orleans Pelicans that went down to the wire on Sunday, the Summer Suns are back in action just a day later, but this time against the Milwaukee Bucks. It’s safe to say that the stakes and the matchup look just a bit different from when the two teams faced off in the 2021 NBA Finals.
Just like the Suns, Milwaukee is coming off a loss to a Western Conference foe after San Antonio beat them 90-80 loss led by RJ Davis’ 20-point game.
With both teams playing the day before, it’s possible we don’t see the same rotations and starting lineups from either team, since they suffered losses a mere day ago. Teams tend to be very cautious with some of their key Summer League players to protect them from injuries that could affect their ability to make the regular-season roster. That being said, it’s a great opportunity for undrafted players like Sam Hoiberg and Corey Camper Jr. to make memorable impacts that could get them a spot to end up on the final roster.
Probable Starters
In the Summer League, it’s so hard to predict, especially on a back-to-back. Here’s the team’s starters from their last games.
Suns
- Darius Brown II
- Koby Brea
- Rasheer Fleming
- Koa Peat
- Khaman Maluach
Bucks
- Brayden Burries
- Kasparas Jakučionis
- Nate Ament
- Pete Nance
- Bogoljub Marković
Injury Report
Suns
- Nothing Reported
Bucks
- Nothing Reported
What to Watch For
Koby Brea. The 2025 second-rounder has struggled in his first two games of Summer League after being on the team as a two-way player during his rookie year. Averaging just 3.5 points per game so far, he went 0-of-6 from deep and 1-of-10 from the field yesterday vs the Pelicans, which has gotten Suns pundits concerned.
While the status of Khaman Maluach and Rasheer Fleming may be more in question, considering their firm position on the roster and Fleming having his left hand wrapped after yesterday’s game, expect Brea to be playing. Drafted after a strong shooting season at the University of Kentucky during the 2024-2025 season, a bounce-back game from Brea after two-straight games of struggles could go a long way.
A game akin to his performance against the Oklahoma City Thunder in the last game of the regular season would give Suns fans reasons to rejoice.
Prediction
In a game where many of the possible main players’ status is hard to predict, it’s impossible to pinpoint what the contest will look like. If both teams play the rosters they used in their games yesterday, I like the Bucks because of the young talent they acquired after trading Giannis Antetokounmpo to the Miami Heat in the Summer League. If that’s the case, give me a final score of 88-83. However, regardless of who is playing for both teams, I like the Suns to have a stronger shooting performance than they did against New Orleans, when they shot 6/30 from downtown. A progression back to the means.
No matter the score, make sure to follow along on X @BrightSideSun for live updates from the game!
