Jamaree Bouyea drills the unbelievable game-winning 3-pointer to beat the buzzer!
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• Summer League: Complete Coverage
With the warmup action out of the way, the crown jewel of NBA summer action got underway Thursday in Las Vegas with the opening day of the 2025 NBA 2K26 Summer League.
While all eyes were on the debut of Mavericks rookie Cooper Flagg, the much-hyped No. 1 pick in last month’s Draft, it was a handful of lesser-known players who stood out:
RayJ Dennis & Quenton Jackson, Indiana Pacers
The two backcourt holdovers from Indiana’s senior roster teamed up to carry the Pacers back from a 16-point deficit and edge the Cavaliers 116-115.
Jackson got loose for 12 of his 24 points during an impressive individual flurry to end the third quarter that carried Indiana back within striking distance. That set the stage for Dennis, who scored 10 of his team-high 26 points in the fourth as the Pacers closed on a 15-4 run — capped by Enrique Freeman’s go-ahead free throws with seven seconds left — to steal it.
Nae’Qwan Tomlin, Cleveland Cavaliers
Tomlin straight bullied the Pacers, using a combination of inside power and deft 3-point touch for a Day 1-high 30 points on 12-for-16 shooting.
A far fringe player on last year’s powerhouse Cavs squad, Tomlin looked like the proverbial man among boys against Indiana’s summer squad. He converted all nine of his shots in the paint while also dropping in three makes from beyond the arc — no doubt exactly what Cleveland was hoping to see from a 24-year-old entering his second season.
Ryan Nembhard, Dallas Mavericks
On a night where vaunted rookie Cooper Flagg struggled with his shot, undrafted free agent Ryan Nembhard stole the spotlight (with a passable impression of his older brother, Andrew) to key Dallas’ 87-85 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers.
Nembhard led the Mavericks in both points (21) and assists (five), with his 3-pointer putting Dallas up for good just outside the final minute. Flagg, meanwhile, started strong — at one point in the early going, he drilled a long turnaround over Lakers guard Bronny James that had the Thomas & Mack Center buzzing — but gradually faded, shooting 5-for-21 in his first Summer League game.
Jamaree Bouyea, Milwaukee Bucks
What the journeyman guard lacked in production (13 points, 5-for-13 FGs) he more than made up for with dramatics, turning in the play of the day with a contested stepback 3-pointer as time expired to beat the Nuggets 90-89.
Bouyea called the game-winner “a dream come true,” which might seem hyperbolic until you consider his winding NBA journey thus far, with Milwaukee representing his fifth team in just four seasons.
He’s made a total of four NBA 3-pointers in that span, but you could have easily confused him for an established veteran with his nerveless game-winner, on which he received the inbounds pass, dribbled to the right wing and let it fly after a slick fake to give himself just enough separation.
BOUYEA BEATS THE BUZZER FOR THE WIN! 🚨 pic.twitter.com/7hww4l8SPI
— Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) July 11, 2025
David Jones-Garcia, San Antonio Spurs
Nobody made more of their court time in Tuesday’s opening slate than Jones-Garcia, who went off for a game-high 24 points in little more than 18 minutes as the Spurs hammered the 76ers 111-70.
The rout prevented Jones-Garcia from what could have been a truly stellar night. But he was plenty good as it was in a continuation of his impressive performance at last week’s California Classic, where he led all players with 22.7 points per game.
In addition to his scoring, the Dominican native chipped in five rebounds, three assists, four steals and four 3-pointers to cap his all-around performance.
