Brayden Burries kept building momentum Friday, even as the Milwaukee Bucks were blown out by the Miami Heat in their Las Vegas Summer League opener.
Milwaukee fell 119-86 after the teams were tied 56-56 at halftime, then watched the game tilt hard in Miami’s direction over the final 20 minutes. The Bucks couldn’t buy a bucket in the second half, while the Heat seemed to have everything working.
That kind of result won’t thrill anyone, but Summer League is often less about the final score and more about the young players on the floor. For Milwaukee, the biggest takeaway came from its No. 10 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft.
Burries, the California native out of Arizona, started for the Bucks and turned in another encouraging showing. He finished with 18 points, three assists and three rebounds while shooting 40% from the field. The efficiency wasn’t perfect, but he still stood out as one of Milwaukee’s few bright spots.
Most of his damage came before the break. Burries scored 16 of his 18 points in the first half and went 5-for-11 from the field. He ended up as the Bucks’ leading scorer, adding to the strong impression he made in his first Summer League game against the Sacramento Kings.
In that debut, Burries posted 12 points, two rebounds and one assist while shooting 37.5% from the field and 25% from 3-point range. Now he’s put together back-to-back double-digit scoring nights, which is exactly the kind of early sign Milwaukee wants from a top-10 pick.
The way he’s getting those points matters, too. Burries has been assertive in both games, getting downhill and looking for his shot. He showed off the full package against Miami, finishing a left-handed layup over seven-footer Vladislav Goldin, then coming right back with a floater over Goldin again.
He also flashed his mid-range touch with a pair of jumpers and knocked down a 3-pointer just before halftime. Beyond the scoring, Burries handled the ball in pick-and-roll action and created for others, showing he can function as both a scorer and a playmaker when the offense runs through him.
The shot-making hasn’t been spotless, but the confidence keeps climbing. And for Milwaukee, that’s the real story so far.
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