Morez Johnson Jr scores 27 points in Mavericks summer league loss
· Yahoo Sports
Cooper Flagg, the Mavericks’ 2025 No. 1 pick, is not playing in the 2026 NBA Summer League, but he still showed up to support his teammates.
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The “Maine Event” walked into the Thomas & Mack Center to a loud pop from the crowd, which filled the lower bowl of the arena. He was joined by a bevy of his Mavericks teammates, including Marcus Sasser, Moussa Cissé, Max Christie and Caleb Martin. Mavericks team president Masai Ujiri and general manager Mike Schmitz were also in attendance.
The large Mavericks contingent watched second-year guard Ryan Nembhard record his first double-double of the summer league, 15 points and 11 assists, while sophomore forward John Poulidkidas finished with 14 points.
The Warriors defeated Dallas 101-90 on Thursday.
Also, Mavericks first-round pick Morez Johnson Jr. and Warriors first-round pick Yaxel Lendeborg were set to face off for their respective teams after winning a national championship together at Michigan just a couple of months ago.
After the game Lendeborg acted like a pseudo-reporter and asked his former Michigan teammate some questions.
Two takeaways:
First-round picks
The Mavericks selected Sergio De Larrea and Morez Johnson in the first round of the 2026 NBA draft.
Johnson’s best sequence of the night was an Al Jefferson-like shimmy fade in the low post, followed by a blocked shot off the backboard on the other end against a Golden State Warrior.
In the second quarter, Mavericks guard Ryan Nembhard and Johnson started showing the connection they’ve built through a couple of practices. Nembhard found Johnson under the basket for a dunk. Even when Nembhard missed a shot in the period, Johnson scooped up the rebound for a second-chance layup.
“I love him already,” said Nembhard in regards to Johnson’s intensity. “He plays so hard on both ends and he’s going to impact the game in some way, somehow. Whether it’s shots falling or not, rebounds, blocked shots, switches 1 through 5.”
Johnson was seemingly the most active Maverick on both ends of the court. He finished with 27 points and eight rebounds in his first summer league game while starting at center.
“I feel like I competed the whole game,” Johnson said. “I don’t know. I just kept playing hard. Things started going my way. That’s how the game goes. You have some lows and have some highs. You gotta stay ready.”
De Larrea showed flashes of excellence after returning from a lower-leg injury that forced him to leave the game for a couple of minutes in the first quarter. His secondary playmaking was on display as he finished with five assists and was part of some good ball movement. He struggled to make shots from beyond the arc but hit one in the third quarter, finishing with nine points and six rebounds.
De Larrea, who had a wrap on his knee after the game, told DLLS Sports that he had just banged knees with a Warriors player and is fine. He added that he’s enjoyed his time in Dallas, but it’s very different from Spain.
“Sergio’s got great energy,” said Summer League coach and new Mavs assistant Joe Boylan after a practice. “You see him, he has this infectious smile. A lot of positivity on the court. Really high IQ player. Can handle it. Can pass, he’s probably thrown 5 alley oops in practice so far. He’s got a great chemistry with these guys we have. He can make a shot, defend. Just a really well rounded player. Super mature. He’s been a joy to be around.”
International players
Dallas has seven international players on its summer league team: Nembhard (Canada), Vsevolod Ishchenko (Russia), Tobi Lawal (England), Kaodirichi Akobundu-Ehiogu (Nigeria), Guillermo Díaz Graham (Spain), Jorge Díaz Graham (Spain) and De Larrea (Spain).
Lawal, who’s from England, made one of the highlight plays of the night with a put-back dunk over a Warriors player trying to grab a missed shot. He also blocked a shot in the third quarter that drew a loud reaction from the Vegas crowd.
Ishchenko had only seven points and three rebounds but showed solid ball handling. He also made an overhead pass that drew a loud reaction from the crowd.