Morez Johnson Jr. Scores 27 As Dallas Mavericks Fall 101-90 To Golden State Warriors In Summer League

LAS VEGAS — The Dallas Mavericks lost 101-90 to the Golden State Warriors on Thursday night at the Thomas & Mack Center in the NBA Summer League. Despite a valiant comeback attempt that cut Golden State’s lead to just three points, Dallas was unable to stop LJ Cryer and the Warriors down the stretch.

Following a 12-0 Mavericks run, Ryan Nembhard had a chance to whittle Dallas’ deficit to one point, but missed a transition layup. On the other end, Cryer made the Mavericks pay with a three-pointer from the left wing.

He found the bottom of the net again on Golden State’s very next possession, hitting a floater through traffic with just 3:02 remaining. Back up eight, the Warriors held on for the victory. 

Cryer finished with 25 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists on 8-for-14 shooting with five triples.

Morez Johnson Jr. And Yaxel Lendeborg’s Michigan Reunion

Thursday’s matchup also featured a Michigan Wolverines reunion. After winning the national championship in April, Morez Johnson Jr. was drafted by Dallas with the ninth pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. His teammate Yaxel Lendeborg followed, being picked two spots later by Golden State.

In their first game as adversaries, both got off to slow starts initially. Lendeborg finished the first quarter with just three points and Johnson Jr. allowed a few quick baskets to the Warriors’ Graham Ike.

It didn’t take long for either to get comfortable, though. Johnson Jr. found his groove after a few minutes and was up to 6 points and 4 rebounds on 60% shooting by the start of the second. Those numbers ballooned to 14 points and 6 rebounds plus a pair of steals and a block by the half.

The second half was more of the same for Johnson Jr., getting good inside position and finishing around the basket while staying active on the defensive end. He recorded 7 fouls but was tenacious, making his impact felt defensively.

That impact was best felt with 6:03 in the second quarter, when he chased down Golden State’s Jack Clark for an emphatic rejection. 

Offensively, Johnson Jr. showed a lot of diversity. He excelled at using touch to connect on soft hooks and floaters inside, also flashing as a lob threat for his guards. Johnson Jr. also showed off his handle on a couple of plays, putting the ball on the floor to get to his spots. That wasn’t something he did much of at Michigan, so it’s a welcome sight for Mavericks fans.

Another thing he didn’t do frequently with the Wolverines was shoot the three-ball. Johnson Jr. looked comfortable letting them fly against the Warriors, though, going 1-for-4 in the game.

By the final buzzer, Johnson Jr. had a game-high 27 points in addition to 8 rebounds and 3 assists.

Lendeborg got going in the second, making his impact felt across the stat sheet. He made effective reads to find open shooters in the first half, totaling 4 assists. Lendeborg also added 8 points and 3 rebounds in the first half.

He got more comfortable as the game dragged on, finishing with 21 points, 10 rebounds and 6 assists while shooting 8-for-13. Lendeborg’s points came in multiple ways, knocking down catch-and-shoot triples and bullying his way to the rim to score and draw contact. 

With 28 seconds remaining in the contest, Lendeborg essentially sealed the game with a two-handed dunk to give him the edge over his ex-teammate in their first game against each other.

Ryan Nembhard And Sergio De Larrea Spearhead Dallas’ Guards

The guard who most benefited from Johnson Jr.’s lob presence was 20-year-old rookie Sergio De Larrea. The 25th pick in this year’s draft looked comfortable with the ball in his hands, recording 5 assists.

That said, it was a tough shooting outing for De Larrea. He finished with 9 points on 3-for-14 from the field and 1-for-9 from three. A 40.7% three-point shooter for Valencia in Liga ACB last season, De Larrea will have better days in that department.

Speaking of being comfortable with the ball in their hands, Nembhard ran Dallas’ offense with ease. He recorded 15 points and 11 assists, getting to his elbow jumper and finding open teammates throughout.

With the first of this year’s Summer League games wrapped up, the Mavericks will look to continue the momentum they found in the second half, where they outscored the Warriors by nine.

What’s Next?

Golden State returns to action against the Oklahoma City Thunder (0-0) at 5 p.m. Sunday.

Dallas will try to bounce back versus the Los Angeles Lakers (0-0) at 9 p.m. on Saturday.