WHO: Dallas Mavericks vs. Phoenix Suns WHAT: BASKETBALL ON YOUR TV AGAIN! Maverick Basketball at that! WHERE: Thomas & Mack Center, Las Vegas Nevada WHEN: 8:30 p.m. CT HOW: ESPN THE STORY: We’ve not had Maverick basketball in our lives since mid-April. It’s time to hop back up on that horse and watch guys in Dallas uniforms, even if most of them may never see a minute of NBA action. Dennis Smith and Jalen Brunson will see time together tonight, giving us a partial glimpse of small ball line ups of the future. Johnathan Motley versus DeAndre Ayton is going to be a thing and I low key suspect it will get testy between an undrafted guy and a number one over all pick. This is the first of three games for the Mavericks which will decide seeding in the tournament to follow. Dallas will play at least five total games with the opportunity to play more if they win enough. Though wins and losses are ultimately meaningless in Summer League winning is still better than losing. Let’s get it.<doc-sep>Postgame: Dennis Smith Jr. Dennis Smith Jr. dishes on the first game of Summer League against the Suns. LAS VEGAS – Something that was a curse to the Dallas Mavericks frequently last season reared its ugly head again Friday night in their summer league opener at the Thomas & Mack Center. The Phoenix Suns outscored Dallas 30-17 in the third quarter and went on to post a 92-87 victory over the Mavs in the first game of the MGM Resorts NBA Summer League 2018. It was the same third quarter where the Mavs had all sorts of problems last season when they posted a 24-58 record. “I think they started off the game the right way,” summer league Jamahl Mosley said of his starters. “I think there was actions where we moved the ball, we played hard defensively, we were getting into guys, we were doing a great job talking, with switching and moving around, moving the ball early on. “And as the second half got to us we slowed that down a little bit. So I think that’s where we kind of hit the wall.” The Mavs will try and rebound from this loss when they face the Milwaukee Bucks at 6 p.m. Sunday at Cox Pavilion. Jalen Jones led the Mavs with 16 points and 11 rebounds, and Dennis Smith Jr. and Johnathan Motley tallied 11 points apiece. Meanwhile, Suns center Deandre Ayton, who was the No. 1 overall pick in last month’s NBA Draft, finished with 10 points, eight rebounds and five fouls. Mosley said the Mavs broke down defensive in the second half and that enabled the Suns to pull away and stretch a 42-37 halftime lead into a massive 72-54 advantage entering the fourth quarter. “I think we allowed the shot-making or the lack thereof, we allowed it to impact our intensity on defense. And I think when you do that it starts to take the energy out of the ball, and when you don’t make shots it kind of wears on guys. “But it’s a good lesson for these to understand that you have to hang your hat on defense every night no matter when, no matter what, whether you’re making shots or not.” While many of the Mavs were struggling, Jones was a constant with his double-double and all-out hustle plays. “Jalen Jones is always active,’ Mosley said. “He does a really good job of attacking the basket and finishing at the rim, and he just plays hard. That’s who he is.” Jones, however, described this as a good-news-bad-news game, since the Mavs failed to emerge as the winner, despite his solid all-around game. “It was a hard-fought effort,” Jones said. “My role for the team is to do whatever the coach asks me to do. I want to be just that junkyard dog that goes out there and help the team defensively or offensively. “Whatever I can do to help the team win, that’s what I’m going to try to do. I feel like I did that somewhat, but I didn’t do enough to help us win.” Smith shared that same sentiment, adding that the Mavs’ woes started when they found themselves down five points at halftime after leading 21-20 following the first quarter. “(The breakdowns) started in the second quarter when we stopped communicating,” Smith said. “We didn’t have high energy and they picked it up from there. “That’s something we talked about, something we’re going to get better at. It was a good learning experience for everybody tonight.” The Suns led by as many as 22 points in the third quarter before the Mavs chopped the deficit to seven and made the final score respectable. “It was just energy, effort, and heart starting to take things personal towards the end,” Smith said. “So that’s why the comeback started happening.” NOTES: Rookie guard Luka Doncic could play in one of the Mavs’ next two summer league games, perhaps as soon as Sunday against the Milwaukee Bucks. Doncic’s paperwork with his EuroLeague team – Real Madrid – still isn’t finalized. “We’re just waiting on Real Madrid,” proprietor Mark Cuban said. “We’re ready to do it. They don’t use DocuSign, otherwise it would be done. They don’t like to work on weekends. We’re still holding out hope that maybe he can play Sunday.”. . .Proprietor Mark Cuban and coach Rick Carlisle said the Mavs have agreed on a contract with Australian guard/forward Ryan Broekhoff. The 6-7 player was an honorable mention All-American and the Horizon League Player of the year while playing for Valparaiso in 2012. Broekhoff, now 27 years old, played for Valparaiso from 2009-’13, but went drafted. He also made the All-EuroCup First Team in 2015 while playing for Lokomotiv Kuban. “He’s the best shooter in Europe,” Cuban said. “He played at Valparaiso, the alma mater of Shawn Marion, and was a knock down shooter there. His game has improved, he’s a good rebounder for his position, he’s 6-7 with a 6-10 wingspan, so he knows now to play.” Carlisle said of Broekhoff: “He’s a shooter and a tough kid who had a great year this year in Europe. We like him as a shooter and a guy that can space the floor.”. . .Mavs assistant coach Jamahl Mosley is one of nine coaches chosen to assist head coach Gregg Popovich at the USA Basketball Men’s National Team mini-camp in Las Vegas from July 25-27. “To me, that’s just a blessing, it’s an honor and it’s a privilege just to be selected to be part of that group,” Mosley said after Friday’s summer league game against Phoenix. “I’m going to do whatever is asked of me and be where I need to be on the floor. It’s really an honor and it goes to say what the Mavs’ organization has allowed me to do and just the growth that they’ve allowed me to have as I’ve been here.” Mavs forward Harrison Barnes and center DeAndre Jordan are members of the 2018-’20 USA National Team and will also be in Las Vegas with Mosley.<doc-sep>
Will he play or won’t he? That’s the question surrounding Luka Doncic as NBA Summer League tips-off Friday. Doncic hasn’t participated in any of the team’s practices leading up to the Las Vegas tournament and the Dallas Mavericks aren’t sure their top draft pick will be able to suit up. Thursday morning, Head Coach Rick Carlisle addressed Doncic’s situation. “He has not participated in a live practice yet because he needs to have his buyout completed with Real Madrid,” Carlisle told reporters. “He needs a FIBA letter of clearance, he needs a physical and he needs to sign his contract. So, we’re getting close to getting those things done, but we’re not there yet.” Even with his contract situation unresolved, Doncic will travel with the team to Vegas. When he eventually inks his deal with the Mavericks, Doncic will earn approximately $6.5 million his rookie season and $27 million over the next four years. If he is unable to play during Summer League, it will be a blow to both the Mavericks and the NBA. Doncic’s international success paired with being a top-five draft pick elevates his profile, making him a must-see rising star. The NBA even scheduled an opening day game between the Mavericks and Phoenix Suns in the hopes of showcasing their high draft picks. The Suns selected DeAndre Ayton first overall in June’s NBA Draft. Prior to Carlisle’s statement, the Mavs spoke vaguely about Doncic’s availability and participation. Wednesday morning, Assistant Coach Jamahl Mosley, who is coaching the Summer League team, dodged questions about Doncic’s status. “Again, it’s going to be a TBD with him,” Mosley said. “He got his shots up, he got his work in on his own and that’s kind of where we’re leaving it with him.” In a deal made during the draft, Dallas sent the rights to Trae Young and a protected 2019 first round draft pick to the Atlanta Hawks for Doncic. Looking at his résumé, it's no wonder why the Mavericks were determined to land the 19-year-old Slovenian phenom. Playing in Europe, Doncic showed all the signs of a basketball prodigy. In 2012, at age 13, he signed a five-year contract with Real Madrid in Spain. Since that time, the accomplishments and accolades poured in as Doncic became arguably the most heralded international player to enter the NBA Draft. In 2018 alone, he led Real Madrid to Liga ACB and Euroleague championships as well as being awarded league MVP honors in both. Doncic factors heavily into the Mavericks’ future as the team rebuilds. If Doncic does play during Summer League, it will be a good opportunity for him to get a feel for his teammates and display his skills against NBA-level talent. Dallas has three games scheduled so far with at least two more to come depending on how the team fares. Right now, though, the odds of him playing don't look good. “He is going to continue to ramp up his workload,” Carlisle said. “There remains a possibility that he could play. To what percentage I can guarantee that? I just can’t. I don’t want to go there. That’s where things are.”