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The Cleveland Cavaliers take on the Houston Rockets in the championship game of the 2023 NBA Summer League in Las Vegas. Both teams are undefeated this summer.
The Cavs reached the championship game after an overtime win against the Brooklyn Nets in the semifinal.
Emoji Bates has been a revelation for Cleveland. He should be active and lead the team on Monday night.
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The second-round pick has been one of the best players in summer league. He was a highly touted five-star prospect out of high school.
Bates suffered a back injury during his freshman year at Memphis. He only played in 18 games. He then transferred to the smaller Eastern Michigan, where he averaged 19.2 points per game.
His stock fell in the draft after his struggles in college, injuries and transferring.
Bates will try to keep proving scouts wrong with another strong performance in summer league to close out with a title.
He has averaged 16.8 ppg while shooting 43.5%. He has scored in double figures in every game in Vegas.
Game preview
The game tips off at 9 p.m. ET from the Thomas & Mack Center in red-hot Vegas. It airs on ESPN and can be streamed on the ESPN app and WatchESPN.
The Cavs are minus-2 point favorites. The total is 192.5. The Cavs are minus-130 on the moneyline.
The championship game should be a great matchup of young talent.
The Rockets' roster is stocked with lottery talent. However, a lot of those players will not play in the championship.
Jabari Smith Jr. dominated the first two summer league games for Houston but has since been shut down. The Rockets will also be without top five pick Amen Thompson, who is out with an ankle injury. Tari Eason also was playing well but has been shut down after averaging 23.0 ppg.
First-round pick Cam Whitmore has been carrying the load for Houston. He could have a big night and could use his defensive skills to stop Bates. He has averaged 19.3 ppg and 6.0 rebounds during summer league.
The Cavs have had the best defense during summer league, holding teams to 86.4 ppg.
Fellow second-round pick Isaiah Mobley has also been great for Cleveland. He could have a big night alongside Bates.
