The elimination tournament at the 2015 NBA Summer League begins Wednesday with all 24 teams seeded and ready to go in Las Vegas. After the preliminary round over the first five days, which featured each team playing in three games, the stakes are raised now in the "win-or-go-home" format being used by the league.
Eight games are set to be played Wednesday at Thomas & Mack Center and Cox Pavilion, starting at 4 p.m. ET with the Houston Rockets taking on the Milwaukee Bucks. One of the top matchups of the day will be the closer featuring the Minnesota Timberwolves and Portland Trail Blazers, which will include top young players such as Karl-Anthony Towns, Zach LaVine, Meyers Leonard and Noah Vonleh.
Here's the schedule (all times Eastern):
Milwaukee Bucks vs. Houston Rockets, 4 p.m.
Players to watch: We've seen Glen Rice Jr. thrive in these kinds of situations before, and the 24-year-old guard has once again been putting up big summer league numbers with Houston this year. In three games, Rice has averaged 22.7 points, five rebounds and nearly three steals per game while leading the Rockets to a 2-1 record. The team has also gotten big numbers from Alan Williams and D.J. Kennedy, though the biggest prospect is Montrezl Harrell, the No. 32 pick in the 2015 draft. Harrell, a big man out of Louisville, has averaged 13 points and 7.5 rebounds in two games. The Bucks have their first-round pick, Rashad Vaughn, on the summer squad, though he's struggled with shaky shooting so far. Former Cincinnati guard Sean Kilpatrick has led Milwaukee with 17 points per game on 44 percent shooting.
Philadelphia 76ers vs. Brooklyn Nets, 4:30 p.m.
Players to watch: No. 3 overall pick Jahlil Okafor is the obvious answer on a Sixers roster that otherwise lacks prominent NBA talent. Point guard Pierre Jackson will reportedly sign a deal with Philadelphia and former Florida star Scottie Wilbekin has put up big numbers, but it's really all about Okafor if you're watching Philly.
The Nets, meanwhile, boast their first-round pick in Rondae Hollis-Jefferson as well as some likely familiar names. Former UConn star Ryan Boatright is Brooklyn's leading scorer so far this summer and Markel Brown, who last played for Oklahoma State, isn't far behind him. There's also embattled former Kansas big man Cliff Alexander as he tries to play his way into the NBA picture after a rough time with the Jayhawks.
Miami Heat vs. Atlanta Hawks, 6 p.m
Players to watch: We've only gotten brief glimpses of Justise Winslow in two games for Miami so far after the former Duke star rolled his ankle in the first half of a game, but an extra look at him is worthwhile. The Heat also have Shabazz Napier -- their leading scorer in Vegas -- as well as James Ennis, who is likely to be with Miami next season, too. Those are three big ones for Miami, while the Hawks boast Mike Muscala and Glenn Robinson III, who haven't played particularly well yet, but will look to get on track Wednesday.
Sacramento Kings vs. Golden State Warriors, 6:30 p.m.
Players to watch: A matchup of big men will be the focus here as Sacramento's Willie Cauley-Stein takes on Golden State's James Michael McAdoo. Two players with radically different pedigrees -- one lottery pick, one undrafted free agent -- they've been among the best on their respective teams so far. Cauley-Stein has averaged 13 points and nearly five rebounds per game, while McAdoo has put up 15.3 points and four rebounds per game.
Washington Wizards vs. Utah Jazz, 8 p.m.
Players to watch: A pair of picks from the middle of the first round highlight this matchup. Washington's Kelly Oubre Jr. and Utah's Trey Lyles have both played significant minutes for their respective teams, which enter the game with identical 1-2 records. Oubre Jr. leads the Wizards at 16.3 points per game, though he's shot just 35 percent from the field and 12 percent from three. Lyles has also shot poorly (29-percent overall) while averaging 10.3 points in three games for Utah.
Dallas Mavericks vs. Los Angeles Lakers, 8:30 p.m.
Players to watch: The Lakers' two young stars, D'Angelo Russell and Julius Randle, still haven't played well in Vegas, but they're the obvious guys to watch from a matchup against Dallas. Russell and Randle are shooting just 33 percent and 29 percent from the floor, respectively, which helps explain why the team hasn't topped 70 points in any of its summer games. Jordan Clarkson has been the team's most productive player so far, averaging 18.3 points per game, but even he's shooting just 40-percent overall. The Mavericks, meanwhile, are getting big numbers from Dwight Powell and have first-round pick Justin Anderson, but there's not much else unless you're a Jordan Crawford fan.
Chicago Bulls vs. Cleveland Cavaliers, 10 p.m.
Players to watch: 2014 first-round pick Doug McDermott is looking to bounce back from a disappointing rookie year and he's off to a decent start in Vegas. The former Creighton star is averaging a team-high 16.7 points per game on 51-percent shooting. Chicago's roster also features first-round pick Bobby Portis, who's gone quiet after an impressive debut, and Australian big man Cameron Bairstow. The Cavaliers don't have anyone averaging more than 10.5 points per game, including guard Joe Harris, who's shot just 25 percent from the field en route to nine points per game.
Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Portland Trail Blazers, 10:30 p.m.
Players to watch: Towns, LaVine, Meyers, Vonleh ... this is easily the most exciting game of the day if you're talking about NBA talent. Both Minnesota and Portland are going through some transition on the court next season and that means they've brought a ton of young talent to Las Vegas. Towns will deservedly get most of the hype, but it's also worth tuning in to see Vonleh, who missed most of last season due to injury but looks like an exciting piece for the Trail Blazers after being included in the Nicolas Batum deal. Vonleh has averaged 16.5 points and 7.5 rebounds in two games so far.