Vegas Play of the Day: Mavs vs. Heat in NBA Summer League

By Ray Brewer (contact)

Tuesday, July 11, 2017 | 10 a.m.

We’re entering the fourth season of the annual South Point-lined Play of the Day competition, effective July 1.

Starting bankrolls have reset to $10,000, with the maximum bet being to win $1,000 and the minimum wager $300. Ray Brewer won back-to-back titles in the 2015-2016 and 2016-17 seasons, after Taylor Bern prevailed in 2014-2015.

Dallas Mavericks minus-4 vs. Miami Heat, $550 to win $500 : Handicapping the NBA Summer League is easier said than done. There’s no telling which players will be on the court for significant minutes. One team may be motivated to win, and the other may simply be going through the motions.

With that said, the Dallas Mavericks appear to be the exception. They have won seven straight games this summer, going 5-0 in Orlando’s summer tournament and winning their initial two games in Las Vegas at the Thomas & Mack Center.

Rookie guard Dennis Smith Jr. had 25 points on an efficient 8-of-14 shooting Sunday against Phoenix in a double-digit Mavs win. He’s not their lone standout — Yogi Ferrell, who played so well last season in the NBA that he earned a contract, and Chinese star Ding Yanyuhang help form a solid starting lineup.

Dallas had Monday off, and Miami edged Washington in one of the tournament’s most exciting games. You can safely assume one team will be well-rested and other could be feeling the effects of the back-and-forth ending.

Current Standings: Granger (3-0, $11,502), Keefer (1-1, $10,129), Brewer (0-1, $9,600), Grimala (0-1, $9,500)

Ray Brewer can be reached at 702-990-2662 or [email protected]. Follow Ray on Twitter at twitter.com/raybrewer21