All 30 NBA teams will be in the same location for the first time as they all participate in the Las Vegas Summer League from July 6-17. Games are played on the campus of UNLV, split between the Thomas & Mack Center and Cox Pavilion, which are connected.
The Pacers will opens the NBA’s the 12-day, 82-game schedule on Friday, July 6 against the Houston Rockets. Each team is guaranteed five games, three preliminary games followed by tournament games — two, at minimum.
And, all games will be televise, either on NBA TV or ESPN/ESPN2.
Unlike the Orlando Summer League, which is no longer serving as a host, tickets are available for fans to purchase. A general admission ticket for one day is $39.00.
The Pacers were already considering other summer league options last summer. They like that Vegas Summer League, which becomes the epicenter for hoops, doesn’t begin until July 6th, almost a week into free agency. Orlando typically started their slate of games right on July 1.
“It’s a tournament, too,” said Kevin Pritchard, the Pacers’ President of Basketball Operations. “You put together a team and at the end of it, they do a tournament out there. So you get to see your players react in a summer league playoff atmosphere, and I like that. I think that will be good for our guys.”
Steve Gansey, the head coach of the Pacers’ G League team (Fort Wayne Mad Ants), will coach the team, per league sources. That was the responsibility of assistant coach Popeye Jones each of the last two years.
“We hope Steve will come in and show us some new ideas. He’ll have an opportunity to run the summer league team with those ideas both the Pacers and Mad Ants want to instill in our players,” Pacers coach Nate McMillan said in a statement released by the team confirming Gansey will be the coach. “We’re looking for him to be creative with some of the things he has done with the Mad Ants.”
Pacers Schedule For Las Vegas Summer League:
Game 1: Friday, July 6 – vs Houston, 3:00 pm ET, Cox Pavilion (NBA TV)
Game 2: Saturday, July 7 – v San Antonio, 3:30 pm ET, Thomas & Mack (ESPN2)
Game 3: Monday, July 9 – vs Cleveland, 5:00 pm ET, Cox Pavilion (ESPN2)
Game 4: TBD
Game 5: TBD
First round tournament games begin on Wednesday, July 11. The championship game will be played at 10:00 pm ET on July 17.
VigilantSports.com was there last summer and will be there again in July for full reports.
All 30 teams will be in Las Vegas for the first time at the 2018 NBA Summer League.