It's down to two in Las Vegas. The Minnesota Timberwolves will take on the Chicago Bulls in the Summer League finale on Monday night with summer supremacy on the line. The game will tip off at 9 p.m. ET.
NBA Summer League schedule 2016: Timberwolves take on Bulls for Las Vegas title
The Timberwolves look to hand the Bulls their first loss in Vegas with a Summer League championship on the line.
Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports
The Timberwolves outlasted the Phoenix Suns, 93-83, in the semifinals on Sunday night behind 29 points from Tyus Jones and 18 points and 10 rebounds from Adreian Payne. The Bulls used a balanced attack and dominated the offensive glass to beat the Cleveland Cavaliers, 85-79, in their semifinal.
Jones and Payne, who have NBA experience, are leading the Timberwolves without No. 5 overall pick Kris Dunn, who has missed the past few games with a concussion. It's unclear whether he will return to action for the title game.
The Bulls have yet to lose in Vegas thanks to the play of rookie Denzel Valentine and second-year players Jerian Grant, Bobby Portis and Cristiano Felicio.
Here’s the schedule for Monday night’s championship game:
Timberwolves (4-3) vs. Bulls (6-0), Thomas & Mack Center, 9 p.m., ESPN2
Both teams played well in their semifinal matchups, but the Timberwolves had to work harder to get to the title game than the undefeated Bulls. Minnesota rallied to beat the Toronto Raptors in overtime in the quarterfinal before overpowering the Suns to get to the championship.
Jones has been the driving force for the Timberwolves. He’s averaging 19.4 points and 6.3 assists per game and was superb in the semifinal. If Dunn isn’t going to return to the court, Jones will need to bring his best against the Bulls, who have relied on a cast of characters to go through Summer League unscathed.
Chicago simply overpowered the Cavaliers on Sunday. The Bulls shot only 36.4 percent from the field, but they took 20 more shots than Cleveland thanks to 10 offensive rebounds. Payne was a menace against the Suns’ frontcourt, but he’ll have a tougher time facing off against Portis and Felicio.
That matchup down low, plus Valentine leading a backcourt against Jones, should make for an exciting finale in Vegas.
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