​San Antonio defeated Milwaukee 90-80 on Sunday in the NBA Summer League at Cox Pavilion in Las Vegas, Nevada. Four former Tennessee Volunteers appeared in the game, with three of them drawing starts. For the Bucks, Nate Ament got the start and logged 25 minutes of action, finishing with seven points and five rebounds. He shot 3-for-7 from the field and went 1-for-2 from beyond the arc.
On the Spurs’ side, Ja’Kobi Gillespie and Igor Milicic Jr. also began the game as starters. Gillespie contributed 13 points, four rebounds, one assist, and two steals across 27 minutes of playing time. Milicic Jr. added 10 points, six rebounds, one assist, and one steal in 24 minutes. Zakai Zeigler saw four minutes of action for San Antonio, recording one assist.
The Summer League schedule continues through July 19. Milwaukee’s next game is Monday against Phoenix; tip-off is set for 10 p.m. EDT and will be carried on Prime Video. San Antonio’s next game is Wednesday against Utah, with a 9:30 p.m. EDT start and also streamed on Prime Video.
Additional context around the event and players: Nate Ament was making his Summer League debut for Milwaukee, wearing the Bucks uniform and facing a Spurs squad that featured multiple former Vols in the lineup. The appearance by three former Tennessee players for San Antonio—Gillespie, Milicic Jr., and Zeigler—highlighted the continued presence of Vols alumni in the league, where developing players use Summer League play to showcase their skills for potential roles on NBA rosters or in the G League. The game itself illustrated a competitive tilt in which San Antonio leveraged balanced scoring contributions to secure the win, while Milwaukee looked to grow its rotation with young talent and potential future contributors.
From a broader view, the NBA Summer League serves as a platform for rookies, second-year players, and unsigned invites to display abilities in a structured, competitive environment. Teams use the games to evaluate pick-and-roll chemistry, defensive schemes, shooting consistency, and decision-making under game conditions. For fans following Vols alumni in the league, matchups like Spurs-Bucks offer a chance to monitor how former college standouts adapt to professional play and to track their development as they pursue active rosters.
This recap aligns with the broader trend of summer league coverage emphasizing both the immediate box-score outcomes and the longer-term implications for player development and team-building. As the Summer League proceeds, observers will likely focus on how these Tennessee-connected players adjust to increased roles, refine their shooting and ball-handling, and communicate within a pro system that emphasizes pace, spacing, and defensive versatility. The ongoing slate of games provides opportunities for Ament, Gillespie, Milicic Jr., and Zeigler to make impressions that could influence their paths in the NBA, whether with Milwaukee, San Antonio, or other organizations exploring their potential contributions.
Note: The above description includes contextual details about the players and the event and reflects typical postgame analyses that accompany Summer League recaps, emphasizing the immediate performance as well as potential longer-term implications for player careers.