NBA Summer League 2021: Dallas Mavericks vs Miami Heat Prediction & Match Preview - August 17th, 2021
The Dallas Mavericks will be hoping to leave the 2021 NBA Summer League with a win when they face the Miami Heat on Tuesday. The match-up will be both teams' final games of the tournament.
Despite pushing the Utah Jazz close and the Denver Nuggets into overtime, the Mavs are yet to register a victory. Miami, meanwhile, had won four of their summer games in a row prior to their own fixture against the Jazz. They will come into this contest as favorites, having scored over ten more points per game than the Mavericks.
Match Details
Fixture - Dallas Mavericks vs Miami Heat | NBA Las Vegas Summer League 2021.
Date & Time - Tuesday, August 17th, 3:00 PM ET (Wednesday, August 18th, 12:30 AM IST).
Venue - Thomas & Mack Center, Las Vegas, NV.
Dallas Mavericks Preview
The shorthanded Dallas Mavericks have struggled in their past two games without Tariq Owens and Tyrell Terry. On Saturday, they pushed the Denver Nuggets into overtime, led by Eugene Omoruyi's 20 points and shooting guard Nate Hinton's all-round performance. However, they still fell by four points and, after a measly 18% of threes made, lost to the Sacramento Kings by 16 points on Sunday,
Their game against the Kings was also marred by Omoruyi's ejection after getting into an altercation with Chimezie Metu. The power forward has been impressive so far, though, after signing a two-way contract with the franchise and has averaged 14.8 points and 5.3 rebounds per game.
If they are to take down the free-scoring Miami Heat in this matchup, the Dallas Mavericks will need to seriously improve in all departments.
Key Player - Carlik Jones
After second-year guard Tyrell Terry picked up a groin injury in their loss to the Utah Jazz, Carlik Jones has stepped up to take over his point guard duties for the Dallas Mavericks. Jones signed an undrafted free agent deal with the Mavs prior to the 2021 NBA Summer League and has impressed in and out of the starting lineup.
He was the Dallas Mavericks' leading scorer against the Sacramento Kings with 18 of the team's 70 points. This was preceded by an even better performance against the Denver Nuggets, where he scored 17 points, dished out eight assists and grabbed two steals. In his 21 minutes per game, Jones has been a consistent provider for the Mavs team and will hope to finish by earning a place on an NBA roster.
Dallas Mavericks Predicted Lineup
Point Guard - Carlik Jones l Shooting Guard - Nate Hinton l Small Forward - Feron Hunt l Power Forward - Eugene Omoruyi | Center - Robert Franks.
Miami Heat Preview
There has been a lot to enjoy about the NBA Summer League for Miami Heat fans. Re-signed players Omer Yurtseven and Max Strus have impressed while undrafted guards Marcus Garrett and DeJon Jarreau have drawn widespread interest through their performances in the starting lineup.
As a team, they have scored 90 points or more in three of their four fixtures due to their array of options and will be looking to finish a successful summer with a win.
Strus and Yurtseven will most likely lead the Miami Heat in their final contest against the Dallas Mavericks. The two combined for 45 points against the Atlanta Hawks, while Jarreau pitched in with an impressive all-round performance. The 23-year-old put up 14 points, nine boards, eight assists and three steals last time out.
Key Player - Omer Yurtseven
Although Max Strus has been electric this summer for the Miami Heat, fans will be keenly observing the development of big man Omer Yurtseven and how he can help going forward as a backup to Bam Adebayo.
Yurtseven signed a two-year deal with the Miami Heat on the 6th of August and is already proving that it could be a good piece of business. In the three games he has played in the NBA Summer League, the 7-footer has averaged 20 points, 9.7 rebounds, 2.7 blocks and 1.3 steals. He has truly been one of the standout talents in Las Vegas and is also a reliable free-throw shooter, connecting with 82% of efforts from the line.
His elite rim protection and ability to knock down shots could bring great value to the Miami Heat. It will certainly be interesting to see how he can progress this year as part of the first team.
Miami Heat Predicted Lineup
Point Guard - DeJon Jarreau l Shooting Guard - Marcus Garrett l Small Forward - Max Strus l Power Forward - KZ Okpala | Center - Omer Yurtseven.
Mavericks vs Heat Match Prediction
Unfortunately for the Dallas Mavericks, it doesn't look like they will win any games in the NBA Summer League. The Miami Heat could prove to be too strong, having averaged more points, more assists and more rebounds in the tournament so far.
They also boast Strus and Yurtseven in their starting lineup, two of the highest-scoring players in Las Vegas, while the Dallas Mavericks don't have their first-choice lineup available.
Resultantly, this should be a fairly straightforward win for the Miami Heat.
Where to watch the Mavericks vs Heat Matchup
One of the last games of this year's NBA Summer League, the match between the Dallas Mavericks and the Miami Heat will be available to watch nationally in America on ESPNU. It will also be streamed live on the NBA League Pass.