Mavs Prosper in Win Over Pacers, Fall Short of Summer League Playoffs

The Dallas Mavericks' NBA Summer League playoff hopes were crushed on Friday, but they still won their game against the Indiana Pacers with several rookies having big performances.

LAS VEGAS — Without Jaden Hardy in the lineup, the Dallas Mavericks' Summer League squad took on Jarace Walker and the Indiana Pacers. Dallas ultimately won the game by the final score of 112-91, pushing their record in Las Vegas to 3-1, but the margin of victory wasn't large enough to keep their playoff hopes alive.

In Summer League play, only four teams make the postseason, and when multiple teams have the same record, the tiebreaker comes down to a point system. To make the playoffs, the Mavs needed to beat the Pacers by 27 points, and although they came close in the final minutes of the fourth quarter, they weren't able get it done.

OMax Prosper was a big part of Dallas' success, as he finished with 18 points, five rebounds and one steal while shooting 7-12 from the field and playing great defense. He was a +19 in the boxscore plus/minus. Prosper's advanced physical build is something you don't see from most rookies, and if he continues to play the way he has, he'll be in prime position to lock down a spot in coach Jason Kidd's rotation come training camp time.

Mavs two-way contract player A.J. Lawson, who had struggled with his offense heading into this one, broke out of his slump in a big way by leading Dallas with 24 points on 10-12 shooting from the field. The 6-6 versatile forward will celebrate his 23rd birthday on Saturday, and his defensive play alone should be enough for him to keep his two-way deal with the Mavs.

Next up, the Mavs will play a consolation game on Sunday to end their time in Las Vegas. Dallas' opponent has yet to be determined, but we will have all those details at DallasBasketball.com when they are released.

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Grant Afseth is a Dallas Mavericks reporter for DallasBasketball.com and an NBA reporter for NBA Analysis Network. He previously covered the Indiana Pacers and NBA for CNHI's Kokomo Tribune and various NBA teams for USA TODAY Sports Media Group. Follow him on Twitter (@grantafseth), Facebook (@grantgafseth), and YouTube (@grantafseth).

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