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The Dallas Mavericks won their first NBA Summer League game on Monday night, defeating the Memphis Grizzlies, 96-88. Sergio De Larrea led a very balanced effort from Dallas with 16 points and 12 rebounds. Darin Green Jr. was the Dallas high scorer with 18 points. Third overall pick Cameron Boozer ground his way to a 21-point, eight-rebound effort for Memphis in defeat.
With the Mavericks electing not to play both Ryan Nembhard and Morez Johnson Jr (illness and calf soreness, respectively), Dallas went with an all-overseas-born lineup. Memphis forced the ball to Boozer early and, with Vsevolod Ishchenko drawing that defensive assignment, it looked like it might be a rough game for Dallas. However, the Mavericks played strong team defense and pushed after missed Memphis shots to tie the game at 10 halfway through the period. Kaodirichi Akobundu-Ehiogu had a surprising impact early, scoring six points via dunks as he flew toward the rim with authority. Dallas grew the lead to double digits before a flurry of Taylor Hendricks threes closed the gap. Dallas led 24-19 after one period.
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The Mavericks blitzed the Grizzlies in the second, pushing off of misses and Memphis turnovers, leading to repeated three-point looks on the break. Dallas knocked down shot after shot and rebuilt their double-digit lead from the first period. Back-to-back threes from former Maverick Olivier Maxence-Prosper cut the lead to single digits with two minutes remaining in the half. Memphis cut the lead down to four and entered halftime down 50-46.
The Memphis rally continued to start the second, tying the game a few minutes into the third quarter. The two teams then exchanged baskets, ties, and leads. Strong shooting from Dallas helped them hold off Memphis and the Mavericks entered the fourth quarter up 68-65.
De Larrea’s flashy passing paired with Maverick shotmaking helped Dallas hold off the Grizzlies for much of the period. Memphis closed the gap to tie the game at 77 with five minutes remaining. Dallas exploded out of the next timeout, scoring seven straight, including another rim-rocking dunk from Akobundu-Ehiogu on a…
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Publish date : 2026-07-14 01:29:00
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