Malaki Branham's 23 Points Power Cavaliers Past Pelicans in Summer League Clash

The Cleveland Cavaliers secured an 82-77 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans on Wednesday night at the Cox Pavilion in Las Vegas, relying on a disciplined second-half surge to close out their NBA Summer League schedule. The result officially eliminated the Pelicans from the four-team championship bracket, dropping their tournament record to 2-2 and ending their hopes of a semifinal berth.[2][3][5]

Cleveland’s offense was anchored by a breakout performance from Malaki Branham, who registered a game-high 23 points. The 23-year-old guard, who split the previous season between the Washington Wizards and the G League’s Cleveland Charge, shot 7-for-16 from the floor and a perfect 6-for-6 from the free-throw line in 28 minutes of action.[1]

Branham’s scoring consistency has been a steadying force for the Cavaliers throughout the Las Vegas showcase. He reached double figures in all four of his Summer League appearances, with Wednesday marking his first 20-point outing of the tournament, signaling his readiness to compete for regular-season rotation minutes.[1]

Forward Riley Minix provided crucial secondary scoring for Cleveland, adding 15 points, five rebounds, and three assists. While Minix struggled from beyond the arc—hitting just 1 of 7 attempts to bring his Summer League three-point shooting to a frigid 1-for-20—he compensated by aggressively attacking the paint and converting at the foul line, demonstrating the adaptability coaches look for when a primary weapon temporarily fails.[1]

On the opposite sideline, the Pelicans opted to rest several of their top prospects, fielding a completely revamped starting lineup. The shift provided extended evaluation minutes for fringe players fighting for two-way contracts, embodying what the coaching staff described as a necessary "next man up mentality" in the grueling exhibition environment.[2][4]

Despite trailing by as many as 14 points in the fourth quarter, New Orleans mounted a furious comeback led by point guard Markquis Nowell. Nowell, who finished with a team-high 20 points, sparked a solo 12-point run to drag the Pelicans back into contention during the final minutes, repeatedly breaking down Cleveland's perimeter defense.[2][6]

Nowell’s aggressive downhill style forced Cleveland’s defenders into foul trouble. "I saw that they were a little handsy, so I was just trying to put us in the bonus so we could shoot some free throws," Nowell explained postgame, noting that his "New York mentality" kept him attacking the rim even after taking a painful poke to the eye while fighting for a rebound.[2]

The Pelicans also delivered several early flashes of athleticism before the game tightened up, including a tone-setting dunk by Dominique Daniels Jr. and a highlight-reel alley-oop from Nowell to Jordan Riley. However, the team’s overall shooting efficiency hovered around 40 percent, allowing Cleveland to maintain its slim advantage down the stretch.[2][3][6]

For both front offices, the focus now shifts from live game action to intensive tape evaluation. Executives will spend the coming days analyzing these final high-leverage minutes to finalize training camp rosters, assign G League roles, and allocate their remaining two-way contract slots ahead of the 2026-27 NBA season.[4]