The Cleveland Cavaliers lost to the Indiana Pacers 99-93 in their first game of the 2026 NBA Las Vegas Summer League.
Cleveland began the fourth quarter by outscoring Indiana 26-11, shooting 11-6 from the floor during their comeback run. It was too little too late, but it was fun to watch nonetheless.
Rookie Meleek Thomas scored 20 points and shot 7-14 from the floor. He found his groove late in the fourth quarter, coming to life and helping his team rally back from a big deficit. His shot-making,
both off the dribble and in catch-and-shoot situations, was a standout.
The Cavs are hoping the 34th pick can continue to develop as a scorer. Thomas showed promise as a freshman for Arkansas with a pure jumper and good feel for getting to his spots. He spent most of his time as a secondary option in college, but had a chance to be the lead ball handler today. Cleveland played Thomas at point guard, and it paid off.
Nae’Qwan Tomlin also looked strong. Tomlin began his career on a two-way deal with the Cavaliers but worked his way into a standard contract last season. He’s looking to graduate from Summer League by proving he’s too good to be included in this setting.
Tomlin had 20 points and 6 rebounds.
Ball handling and athleticism are two things the Cavs have been missing in their frontcourt. Tomlin has the raw potential to deliver both. He looked strong working off the dribble today and even buried two three-pointers. Tomlin was statistically one of the worst shooters in the NBA last season. Any improvement in that regard would be a nice addition to his game.
Malakai Branham scored 15 points, in addition to grabbing 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, and 1 block.
Riley Minnix chipped in with 10 points and 5 rebounds. Ernest Udah Jr. added just 4 points and 2 rebounds in his 20 minutes. Tristan Enaruna, Cleveland’s third and final two-way player, scored 2 points on 1-7 shooting off the bench.
Cleveland plays the Milwaukee Bucks at 3:30 PM on Sunday.
