Warriors summer league: Lendeborg gets better of former Michigan teammate in win over Mavs

LAS VEGAS – A sizable chunk of a sleepy summer league crowd that steadily streamed into the Thomas & Mack Center on Thursday afternoon were trying to secure a spot for the following Wizards-Jazz game that promised a matchup between the top two picks in the recent NBA draft.

But by the end of the Warriors’ 101-90 victory over the Dallas Mavericks, they had found a way to enjoy another fun showdown between highly-touted rookies.

The battle of former Michigan Wolverines saw Yaxel Lendeborg score 21 points, grab 10 rebounds and dish out five assists for the Warriors, while Morez Johnson put up 27 points and eight rebounds in a losing effort for the franchise led by the pair’s college coach, Dusty May.

“I pretty much ran into a brick wall, but it was super fun playing against him,” Lendeborg said. “This is something we talked about, so to be able to express it and actually put it into motion in the highest level was amazing.”

The highlight, aside from Lendeborg getting to ask Johnson a lighthearted question in Johnson’s own postgame media scrum deep inside the arena’s lower level?

A rim-rattling right-handed tomahawk dunk in transition, where Lendeborg went from midcourt to the rim in only a few steps.

Like he did in two games at the California Classic in San Francisco, Lendeborg did not dominate the ball. He posted up on a few possessions, ran point on another, played the wing a few times and generally did whatever the team needed.

Those looking for a true one-on-one duel were disappointed. Lendeborg and Johnson rarely defended each other despite both being in the frontcourt. The one time Lendeborg had Johnson on him in transition, he dished off to Lajae Jones for an open 3-pointer.

The Warriors led 59-39 at halftime and fended off a Mavericks rally.

LJ Cryer scored a game-high 25 points, and Lachlan Olbrich put in 12 points for the Warriors.

Golden State will play the Oklahoma City Thunder at 3 p.m. on Sunday.

Jones more aggressive

Jones’ three appearances in the California Classic were defined by a passive way of playing. He rarely looked to score and seemed content to let the offensive player dictate what happened whenever Jones was tasked with defending.

Signs of the springy 6-foot-7 wing who wowed at Florida State were few and far between.

But with the setting changed to Las Vegas, he showed a more assertive demeanor. Jones made both of his shots in the first quarter, including an and-1 layup as a cutter.

Jones ended his night with 11 points and five rebounds.

“Lajae was very decisive tonight offensively, and then defensively, he was very solid and kept the ball in front of him and defended without fouling,” coach Khalid Robinson said. “This is probably one of his better games this summer.”

After seeing a few buckets go in, Jones appeared to have even more verve as a defender. Though credited with only one block, he influenced several other shot attempts around the rim. His process remained rough around the edges, but Thursday was a great step in the right direction.

Bassey signs, Ike balls out

An hour after the Warriors officially signed reserve center Charles Bassey to a one-year deal, Graham Ike did his best to show that the backup center position should still be considered in flux.

Ike got his fourth consecutive start at the five and responded with nine points and nine rebounds. An old-school center, the Warriors gave him a handful of post-ups, providing him space to work with his back to the basket.

With the likes of Tobi Lawal and Tyler Smith guarding him, Ike had no problems carving out space and buckets.

Bassey averaged 10.6 points and 7.2 rebounds in five games with the Warriors, providing Golden State with a play-finisher around the rim and someone who could reliably grab boards in limited minutes.

Cryer fills it up

Much like the centers, Cryer played like he knew there was a role ready to be claimed in the real Warriors rotation. With Pat Spencer now departed for the Suns, the Warriors need a backup point guard who can score.

Enter Cryer, the second-year bucket-getter out of Houston. He put up 8.2 points per game in 18 appearances for the Warriors last season despite battling a litany of injuries. In the team’s first Las Vegas game, he proved that no one in the desert could guard him.

Cryer scored 25 points on 8-of-14 shooting and scored consecutive baskets to give the Warriors control of the game after the Mavericks cut the lead to just three with five minutes remaining.