Bucks’ Brown cools off in summer-league loss

LAS VEGAS - An early rain of threepointers dried up in a major way and the Milwaukee Bucks weren't able to recover in an 81-78 loss to the Dallas Mavericks in their Las Vegas summer league game on Sunday at Cox Pavilion.

Milwaukee opened the game 5 of 6 from three-point range and by halftime was 56.8% from the field, including making 8 of 17 three-pointers.

But the second half brought much different results. The Bucks' shots — from three-point distance and otherwise — just stopped falling and they found themselves battling from behind for rest of the contest.

Milwaukee went 10 of 37 after halftime (27.0%) and made just 2 of 15 three-point tries.

Sterling Brown tried to take the lead offensively during the second half to mixed results. A guard who spent most of his time playing off the ball last season, Brown had the ball in his hands often over the final 20 minutes.

In the third quarter it worked well. He used his physicality to finish the quarter with 12 total points on 5 of 8 shooting.

But the fourth was a different story. With the Bucks battling from behind, Brown helped tied the score at 72 with a pair of free throws, but those were his only points of the period. He missed all seven of his fourth-quarter shots.

Out again: Bucks first-round pick Donte DiVincenzo missed his second successive game due to a right groin strain. He looked to be moving well in a scrimmage Saturday but his status for Monday's 8 p.m. game against the Denver Nuggets remains in doubt.