The Sixers’ 2026 summer league run ended the same way a lot of these games do in Vegas: fast, messy and decided in the final seconds.
Milwaukee slipped past Philadelphia 96-94 on Saturday when Brayden Burries finished with a lefty layup and 1.5 seconds left. The loss closed the Sixers’ five-game slate at 2-3, matching the Bucks’ record in Las Vegas.
Gerald Ayayi led Philadelphia with 22 points, while Dante Maddox Jr. and Nick Townsend chipped in 15 apiece. Even in defeat, the Sixers had enough individual flashes to make the finale worth sorting through.
Labaron Philon Jr. and Johni Broome were out of the lineup, watching from the sideline as the Sixers opened with Duke Miles, Maddox, Ayayi, Amani Lyles and Isaac Johnson. Philon’s summer had already made a strong impression before the finale. The rookie No. 22 overall pick averaged 18.5 points, 5.8 assists and 3.5 rebounds across four games, and while his shooting numbers lagged behind what he did at Alabama - 38.2 percent from the floor and 25.8 percent from three - he looked composed as a ball handler and played with real confidence.
Broome’s summer was productive, too. The left-handed big man averaged 14.7 points and 9.0 rebounds per game, with double-doubles in wins over the Pistons and Pacers. His roughest outing came in the team’s blowout loss to the Rockets, when he scored two points on 1-for-5 shooting.
Without Broome in the paint, Johnson handled the center minutes and gave Philadelphia a useful final showing. He finished with 10 points and six rebounds in 12 minutes. The 7-footer also had a few respectable possessions defending guards and wings on the perimeter, something that won’t be his calling card but would help his case if he can survive those matchups from time to time.
Drew Cisse backed him up at center and made a couple of his own plays. He dunked in the first quarter shortly after stopping John Butler Jr.’s drive, then finished with six points and seven rebounds.
Cisse spent last season in the organization with the Delaware Blue Coats, appearing in 36 G League games and averaging 5.4 points, 7.9 rebounds and 1.6 blocks. His offensive rebounding remains the eye-catching part of his profile; last year he set a G League record with 20 offensive rebounds in a game.
The Bucks brought their own high-end talent to the floor, with lottery picks Burries, the No. 10 selection, and Nate Ament, the No. 13 pick, both in the lineup. Burries poured in 27 points and Ament added 12.
Philadelphia got off to a decent shooting start from deep, with Maddox and Miles each hitting early step-back threes. Miles, in particular, kept the perimeter touch going and went 3 for 4 from beyond the arc for a second straight strong outside shooting performance.
Maddox did what he’s done all summer: keep launching. He went 2 for 6 from three and finished the event 11 for 31 from long range, or 35.4 percent. He played in all five games and averaged 15.6 points, 3.6 rebounds and 2.0 assists.
Ayayi was the most efficient guard on the floor for the Sixers, going 7 for 13 and repeatedly getting into the paint with force. He missed some finishing chances inside during summer league, but he kept finding himself around the rim and stayed aggressive.
Townsend also made his mark as a driver. The Yale product went 6 for 9 from the field in his only extended run of the summer.
Philadelphia trailed by double digits in the second quarter before clawing back. Maddox knocked down a mid-range jumper to cut the deficit to one late in the period, and Mylik Wilson’s layup on the final possession of the half sent the Sixers into the break with a 51-50 lead.
The game stayed tight after halftime. Milwaukee opened the fourth quarter with a 10-0 run and looked positioned to ride that cushion to the finish, but the Sixers kept hanging around. Ayayi tied it with 9.6 seconds left by making both free throws, and then Burries answered with the winner for Milwaukee.
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