Mavericks vs. Hawks recap: 3 things as Dallas blows out Atlanta 101-80 to close out Summer League

Like the dreams of so many who travel to Las Vegas looking for a big score, another NBA Summer League has come and gone in what seems like an instant. The Dallas Mavericks wrapped up their five-game run in the desert with a 101-80 blowout win over the Atlanta Hawks.

Draft picks Dereck Lively II and Olivier-Maxence Prosper started, giving them an appearance in each of Dallas’ games. Both touched the ball early on, with Lively showing off a nice jump hook on the block and Prosper being active — sometimes detrimentally — on both ends.

Outside of Jordan “Jelly” Walker, who had nine points, the Mavericks had a hard time buying a bucket in the first quarter. They shot 35.3 percent overall.

The Mavericks were able to take the lead in the second quarter as Dallas mounted a 10-0 run before an official timeout at 6:22. It wouldn’t last. The Hawks chipped away at the Mavericks’ modest lead, trading buckets, before Dallas took a 46-44 halftime lead.

Walker led all scorers at the half with 11. Atlanta’s Kobe Bufkin had 10.

Lively had some strong buckets in the third quarter. He hasn’t always been assertive on offense during Summer League, but he’s shown that he can throw it down. Mike Miles Jr. also came alive in the frame, hitting some tough buckets and finding his teammates.

Prosper took a concerning spill chasing a loose ball after having his shot blocked when a Hawks player fell on him. He would return to the game after a breather on the bench.

Dallas put the game out of reach in the third quarter, outscoring Atlanta 36-18 in the frame, to take a 82-62 lead heading into the fourth quarter.

“It’s the last game, we’re trying to go out with a bang,” Brandon Randolph told sideline reporter Lauren Jbara. He had 13 points in the third quarter.

The Mavericks kept the pressure on, eventually crossing the century mark with under a minute left to play on a Myles Burns breakaway dunk.

Jelly and Brandon

Jelly Walker and Brandon Randolph looked great for Dallas. They both had 20-point nights. Walker led all scorers with 22 while Randolph had 20. Walker signed a contract with Dallas after going undrafted this summer, so he’ll be around for training camp. Randolph is one of several players on Dallas’ summer roster that has earned a camp invite, if not with the Mavs then somewhere in the NBA.

Rookie hope

Having watched the Mavs rookies for five games, they obviously have a lot of room for growth. However, they actually look like promising prospects. That hasn’t been the case in Dallas for almost two decades. Lively and O-Max should get a chance to play NBA minutes next season. One of Jason Kidd’s strengths is letting young players figure it out on the court. The two rookies should benefit from that.

Winning makes Summer League fun

This was the Mavericks’ best showing in Las Vegas since Dennis Smith Jr.’s rookie season, when the team made the Summer League semifinals. It turns out that winning makes things much more interesting, and this year’s team had a roster that was built to compete. The team provided reason for optimism as the NBA dead season arrives.