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Mavericks Roll Past Knicks to Finish NBA Summer League Strong
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- Mavericks Roll Past Knicks to Finish NBA Summer League Strong
(© William Liang-Imagn Images)
The Dallas Mavericks saved their most complete performance for last. In their Summer League finale Friday, Dallas pulled away from the New York Knicks for a 110-88 win. The victory capped a three-game winning streak and lifted the Mavericks to 3-2 in Las Vegas.
Dallas did it shorthandedly, as Morez Johnson Jr. and Ryan Nembhard missed their third straight game and Sergio de Larrea, who recorded 14 assists against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Thursday, got the day off after a strong Summer League showing. Even so, the absences did not slow Dallas for long.
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READ MORE: Kaodirichi Akobundu-Ehiogu Is Making His Case Above the Rim in Vegas
The start looked familiar because, just like Thursday against Oklahoma City , the Mavericks came out sluggish and trailed 23-16 after the first quarter as New York attacked the paint and controlled the offensive glass. Dallas settled in, tightened its defense and erased the deficit to tie the game 41-41 at halftime.
From there, the Mavericks took over and never looked back. They outscored New York 69-37 in the second half, including 35-19 in the third quarter. Dallas shot 46% from 3-point range and held the Knicks to 88 points, turning the second half into a one-sided finish.
John Poulakidas led the Mavericks with 18 points on 6-of-9 shooting, including 5-of-7 from 3-point range. Over his final two games in Las Vegas, Poulakidas shot 10 of 19 from beyond the arc. His shooting continues to strengthen his case for a standard NBA contract after signing a two-way deal, and he has looked like the type of movement shooter every team values off the bench.
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Vsevolod Ishchenko turned in one of Dallas' best all-around performances of the summer. He finished with 15 points on 5-of-8 shooting, seven assists, three rebounds, two steals and one block. His passing and defensive activity gave the Mavericks another playmaking option from the frontcourt and helped stabilize the offense after the slow start.
Jorge Diaz Graham added 15 points and 12 rebounds for a double-double, while Tyler Smith returned after two straight DNPs and scored 21 points off the bench. He knocked down 3-pointers and consistently got to the free throw line.
READ MORE: Mavericks Win In Summer League; Strong Finish and Tough Roster Decisions Ahead
Darin Green Jr. also made a strong impression. He scored 21 points on 6-of-13 shooting, including 6-of-12 from 3-point range, while adding four assists and posting a game-best plus-31.
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Green spent last season with Hapoel Holon in Israel and Radnički 1950 Kragujevac in Serbia, and a performance like this gives him a legitimate opportunity to earn consideration from the Texas Legends, Dallas' G League affiliate, as he works toward another NBA opportunity.
Next up for Dallas is training camp, still a couple months out. When the Mavs reconvene, expect to see plenty of the same faces from this summer league group, from the rookies to a few standouts who played their way into the conversation, potentially including Green and Kaodirichi Akobundu-Ehiogu.
