Clippers fall to Mavericks, 95-89, in summer league tournament opener

LAS VEGAS -- The Clippers didn’t last long here in the first-ever summer league tournament.

On the plus side, Reggie Bullock showed he could be around for many years in the NBA.

The rookie shooting guard scored 20 points Wednesday night at the Thomas & Mack Center during the Clippers’ 95-89 loss to the Dallas Mavericks in the Las Vegas Summer League, his latest impressive showing in a week full of them.

Bullock made eight of 15 shots, including one of four three-pointers, to go with five rebounds and four assists.

“Reggie’s been great. He’s unbelievable,” Clippers summer league coach Tyronn Lue said. “Competes on defense, doesn’t have much to say, takes the open shots and knocks down shots.”

The Clippers (1-3) will play the New York Knicks on Friday afternoon in a consolation game at Cox Pavilion.

It will be one last chance for a handful of hopefuls to impress before fall training camp. Lue said he was pleased with forward JaMychal Green, who had 14 points and nine rebounds, as well as guard Maalik Wayns (12 points) and center DaJuan Summers (eight points, four rebounds). The latter two players appeared in a handful of games with the Clippers last season.

One player who did not thrill Lue was Elijah Johnson. The coach said Johnson was “messing around” at times and not taking the game as seriously as he would have liked. Johnson went scoreless, missing both of his shots, in seven minutes.

The Clippers occasionally went with a two-point-guard lineup that included Wayns and Jerome Randle (15 points, six assists, four rebounds), with Lue explaining that he was intent on using players who would “play hard and compete.”

One problem that continually plagued the Clippers was turnovers; the team finished with 21.

Former Washington State and Cal State Fullerton star Josh Akognon scored 24 points off the bench to lead Dallas (2-2). Former USC center Dewayne Dedmon had two points and six rebounds in 18 minutes for the Mavericks.

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