What’s the latest on former Mizzou Tigers at NBA Summer League in Vegas? Updates
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Tamar Bates scored 13 points in Denver's Summer League loss to Minnesota.
- Caleb Grill notched 8 points and 3 steals in Chicago's defeat to Sacramento.
- Kobe Brown sat out Sunday's game with a right ankle contusion, per Clippers staff.
Former Missouri Tigers men’s basketball star Tamar Bates made an impression in his second NBA Summer League game even though he and the Denver Nuggets squad fell 94-83 to the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Bates finished the Saturday night game at the Cox Pavilion in Las Vegas with 13 points, one rebound and two assists on 6-for-16 shooting from the field.
After missing his first three shots of the game, Bates scored a pull-up, mid-range jump shot to trim the Timberwolves lead to 15-11 with 4:12 left in the first quarter.
Bates’ two baskets in the second quarter came from inside the paint with two layups. The first trimmed Minnesota’s lead to 27-22 with 8:31 remaining in the second quarter, while the second cut the advantage to 33-24 with 6:56 left.
The Kansas City, Kansas, product kept up his success in the paint in the third quarter, cashing in a layup with 3:51 remaining and an and-one hook finish with 2:57 left. The former trimmed the Timberwolves’ lead to 65-51, while the latter cut it to 66-54 after the made free throw.
Caleb Grill + other Saturday highlights
Sacramento Kings 109, Chicago Bulls 92: Former Tigers standout Caleb Grill tallied eight points, three rebounds and three steals off the bench in the Bulls’ loss to the Kings.
The SEC Sixth Man of the Year shot 3 for 7 from the field and 2 for 6 from 3-point range.
Grill got on the board with a pull-up mid-range jump shot to cut Sacramento’s lead to 69-63 with 2:46 remaining in the third quarter. He then sank a 3-pointer from the right corner to make it 72-66 with 2:10 left.
Grill’s final basket was a left-wing 3-pointer with 4:39 remaining in the fourth quarter to trim the Kings’ lead to 98-84.
Los Angeles Lakers 94, New Orleans Pelicans 81: Former MU guard DaJuan Gordon played a role in the Lakers’ win over the Pelicans, recording three points, five rebounds and three assists off the bench.
Gordon — who played for the Tigers during the 2021-22 season — shot 1 for 6 from the field and 1 for 3 from beyond the arc. Gordon scored his lone basket with 5:56 left in the third quarter, drilling a 3 from the left corner. The shot gave Los Angeles a 32-31 lead over New Orleans.
Kobe Brown ruled out Sunday
Former Mizzou standout Kobe Brown was ruled out of the Los Angeles Clippers’ 106-91 win over the Milwaukee Bucks Sunday night at the Cox Pavilion.
The 6-foot-7 forward did not play because of a right ankle contusion, according to Tomer Azarly of ClutchPoints.
Brown suffered the injury in the Clippers’ 95-92 win over the Houston Rockets on Friday after getting tangled with a Rockets player who fell on Brown’s ankle in the third quarter.
The Huntsville, Alabama, product — who tallied 14 points, four rebounds, four assists and two steals in just over 20 minutes — was ruled out for the remainder of the game.
“Ankle is good,” Clippers Summer League coach Jeremy Castleberry told Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times on Friday. “Ankle is fine. Just precautionary. He’ll be OK.”
Golden State Warriors 103, Utah Jazz 93: Ex-Mizzou guard John Tonje will have to wait another game to make his NBA Summer League debut, as the he was ruled out of the Jazz’s loss to the Warriors at the Thomas & Mack Center on Sunday.
Tonje — who played just eight games for the Tigers during the 2023-24 season — was sidelined from the contest due to a right ankle sprain, according to Sarah Todd of Deseret News.
The 6-5 North Omaha, Nebraska, product has yet to make his Summer League debut, not appearing for the Jazz during their three games in Salt Lake City and their first two matchups in Las Vegas.
Atlanta Hawks 98, Phoenix Suns 80: Former Missouri standout DeMarre Carroll suffered his first loss as Summer League coach of the Suns as they fell to the Hawks at the Cox Pavilion.
Phoenix had four players post double figures despite the result: Oso Ighodaro (18 points), Koby Brea (15), Yuri Collins (12) and Moses Wood (10).
The Monday lineup
Monday’s action included Caleb Grill and the Chicago Bulls taking on the Indiana Pacers at 5 p.m. on ESPNU, Dajuan Harris Jr. and the Charlotte Hornets facing the Dallas Mavericks at 5:30 p.m. on NBATV, Tonje and the Jazz matching up against the San Antonio Spurs at 7:30 p.m. on NBATV, Carroll coaching the Suns versus the Sacramento Kings at 9 p.m. on ESPNU and Brown and the Clippers duking it out against DaJuan Gordon and the Los Angeles Lakers at 9:30 p.m. on NBATV.
Copyright 2025 Columbia Missourian
This story was originally published July 14, 2025 at 1:47 PM.