The Dallas Mavericks upended the Portland Trail Blazers in the day’s opening contest. Once again speedy guard Jose Juan Barea led the charge for Dallas, netting 17 points on an array of quick moves that left defenders scraping their feet and shaking their heads. Pops Mensha-Bonsu grabbed 12 rebounds for Dallas as the Trail Blazers again got dominated on the boards. Greg Oden scored 13 points in his second Summer League effort and managed to avoid fouling out for the second straight game, collecting only nine fouls. Oden and Dallas center played tit-for-tat in the opening minutes of the contest as Diop blocked Oden’s first shot—a fade-away jumper from fifteen feet. On the next play Oden blocked Diop’s dunk attempt. The Mavericks won by a score of 72-68.
Javaris Crittenton was the star of the day’s second game, pitting the Los Angeles Lakers against the Milwaukee Bucks. Crittenton displayed a dead-eye jumper and threw down some of the most impressive dunks of the week, finishing with a game-leading 18 points. The game came down to the final seconds as the Bucks led by one with the Lakers holding the ball. Jordan Farmar drove the lane from left to right for the Lakers and dished to a wide-open Crittenton who calmly sank a three pointer. Milwaukee’s final heave went wide and the Lakers claimed the game 66-64. Denver Nuggets coach George Karl was an interested spectator as his son, Coby, plays for the Lakers’ Summer League squad.
The third game was another nail biter as the Cleveland Cavaliers and the national team from China went at each other for four straight quarters. China, playing under unfamiliar rules and short a prominent player, was still searching for its first win in Summer League play. The Cavaliers got a heroic effort from last year’s first round pick Shannon Brown, who dazzled with 11-16 shooting and finished with 26 points. For the second straight game Daniel Gibson was impressive, scoring 14 points, 10 from the free throw line as the Chinese defenders could not move quickly enough to keep up with him. For the second straight game Gibson also left the game in the second quarter, this time with an ankle sprain. Chinese super-giant Yi Jianlin struggled through the early quarters but came alive when it mattered. After Cavalier sharpshooter Matt Walsh hit a three-pointer to put them up 1 with 18 seconds left China called a pick and roll for Yi. He responded with a feathery turn-around jumper with less than a second left and the Chinese had their first victory, 85-84. The team was smiling and embracing and the vocal contingent of China supporters in the stands were beside themselves.
True to the spirit of the day the final contest was also close with the Denver Nuggets defeating the Los Angeles Clippers 108-104. Unlike the other games this was not a see-saw affair. Denver jumped out to a commanding lead early and maintained a 20+ point spread for much of the game. The Clippers worked to trim the final margin but ran out of clock before they crested the hill. The Clippers’ Al Thornton attempted 14 free throws and finished with 24 points to lead all scorers. Jelani McCoy missed only one shot all game as he scored 14 and added 13 rebounds. Lamond Murray led the Nuggets with 17.
