The Dallas Mavericks fell short on their Summer League comeback attempt against the Milwaukee Bucks on Thursday night by the final score of 100-89. Dallas is now 0-4 in Las Vegas.
The Mavs came into this matchup looking for their first win after being run off the court in their previous game versus the Phoenix Suns. Dallas was out-hustled and deficient when it came to physicality on both ends of the floor.
In an interview early in the game, Mavs forward Moses Wright shed some light on their approach to tonight's game, saying they were "asked to be more physical.” The game certainly started that way as the Mavs jumped out to an early double-digit lead.
Sloppy defense by the Mavs allowed the Bucks to creep back into the game. There were several fouls due to poor rotation that gave Milwaukee several free throw attempts as well. In all, the Bucks shot 43 free throws.
The biggest standout performance of the night for the Mavs by far was from Moses Wright, who chipped in 26 points and 11 rebounds. He was focused and tenacious on the glass all night, both the offensive and defensive boards. The team seemed to feed off of his energy. Jerrick Harding also had another strong performance, scoring 16 points off of the bench.
It was another poor shooting night for Jaden Hardy, and a rare off night for A.J. Lawson as well. Hardy went 3-13 from the floor for seven points, and Lawson finished 3-8 for six points. There were several good looks that both just simply couldn’t get to fall for them. One bright spot for Hardy throughout Summer League has been his ability to attack the rim at will when he is struggling from the field. Hardy also finished with 4 turnovers.
The Mavs will have some evaluations to do when it comes to filling their last two-way contract. Jerrick Harding had a strong summer league, averaging 14 points per game. AJ Lawson also proved what he can bring to the team with his 52.6 percent shooting from 3, as well as his ability to defend multiple positions.
Tim Hardaway Jr. was also in attendance. When asked how he was recovering from his injury, he seemed very eager to get back on the floor.
"I am hungry. I am ready to get back out there. I got a chip on my shoulder."
The Mavericks may be winless in summer league, however, they have definitely had a few standout performances to keep their eye on as the offseason progresses.
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