Cleveland Cavaliers’ Jaylon Tyson Shines Against Bronny James, Los Angeles Lakers

Jaylon Tyson scored 21 points and nearly recorded a triple-double in the Cleveland Cavaliers' loss to the Los Angeles Lakers.

Jan 10, 2024; Berkeley, California, USA; California Golden Bears guard Jaylon Tyson (20) warms up before the game against the Colorado Buffaloes at Haas Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports / Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports

Summer League is full of intense battles, and fans got one between the Cleveland Cavaliers and Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday evening. The two standouts in this matchup were recent draft picks for both teams, Jaylon Tyson and Bronny James.

Bronny has found his groove over the last two games and dropped 12 points, three rebounds, and three ssts while shooting 50 percent (5-for-10) from the floor and 33 percent (1-for-3) from behind the arc against the Cavs.

This was an impressive all-around performance, but Cleveland’s newest guard had the best game of anyone on either team.

Tyson finished 21 points, 11 rebounds, and nine assists against the Lakers and shot 66 percent (6-for-9) from the field. 

Everyone in Cleveland knew the Cavs got a scorer when he was drafted out of the University of California. However, Tyson's playmaking ability has been a pleasant surprise throughout Summer League, and coming one assist shy of a triple-double in Thursday’s game is an encouraging sign of what his role will be during the NBA season. 

July 18, 2024: Bronny James (left) is guarded by Emoni Bates (right) in the Cleveland Cavaliers matchup with the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA Summer League. / Photo Credit: Spencer Davies

Despite this impressive performance from Cleveland’s first-round pick, the Cavs fell to the Lakers after leading for most of the game. The Cavaliers’ lead stretched grew to 12 at the end of the third quarter, but Los Angeles chipped away during the fourth and stole the lead in the final minutes. 

The Cavaliers' next Summer League game is on Saturday (July 20) against the Indiana Pacers.