Dallas Mavericks vs Memphis Grizzlies

The Grizzlies rely heavily on their shooting prowess. Players like Desmond Bane, Santi Aldama, and Luke Kennard excel from beyond the arc, and new coach Tuomas Iisalo is leaning into this strength. When their shots are falling, they’re tough to stop, especially if Jaren Jackson Jr. dominates inside or Ja Morant and Zach Edey connect on pick-and-rolls. In those moments, the Grizzlies are a real challenge for any defense. That said, their weakness in transitioning to defense was a major factor in their recent loss to Denver.

The Dallas Mavericks aren’t exactly riding high either, having managed just one win in their last four outings. The team has struggled since Luka Doncic was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers against their wishes, creating a noticeable dip in performance. However, they did show some fight in their latest game, overpowering the Toronto Raptors 124–102 at home, which sets the stage for their next matchup. The Mavericks currently sit at 39–42 in the Western Conference.

Beyond losing Doncic, the Mavericks are also without Kyrie Irving for the remainder of the season due to injury. This leaves them with little room for mistakes and dims their hopes of making a meaningful impact, even though Anthony Davis is back and the team is otherwise relatively healthy. Without Irving, their top talent, Dallas risks being an easy target for opponents in any playoff scenario.

Denver defeated Memphis on the road Friday night in a matchup of teams who just dismissed their coaches, resulting in Memphis losing their second straight and sixth in the previous nine games. The Grizzlies, who are currently ninth in the Western Conference after dropping to 47-34, will play Golden State or Minnesota in the opening round of the play-in tournament. Memphis had a seven-point lead after the first quarter, a six-point lead at the half, a three-point lead after three quarters, and a five-point lead with 6:05 remaining before losing badly against Denver. The remainder of the game saw the Grizzlies lose by being outscored 14-1. Memphis lost the rebounding contest 52-41 and shot 45.1% from the floor, including 14 of 43 from three-point range. Bane, Desmond.

The Dallas Mavericks ended their three-game losing streak with a convincing home victory over the Toronto Raptors on Friday night. Now sitting at 39-42 for the season, the Mavericks hold third place in the Southwest Division, trailing the Houston Rockets by 13 games. They currently rank 10th in the Western Conference and are set to face the Sacramento Kings in the play-in tournament, though the location is still to be decided.

In their win against Toronto, Dallas took control early, finishing the first quarter with a 13-4 run to lead 35-25. They extended their dominance with a 16-2 surge in the second quarter, pushing the advantage to 51-27 by the 6:42 mark. From there, the Mavericks never looked back, cruising to victory. The team shot an efficient 55.1% from the field, including 15 three-pointers, and outrebounded the Raptors 56-43. Anthony Davis led the charge with an impressive 23-point, 13-rebound double-double, adding 10 assists and seven blocks.

Offensively, Dallas ranks 13th in the NBA, averaging 114.4 points per game. However, they struggle on the boards (23rd, 43.1 rebounds per game) and in assists (22nd, 25.3 per game). Defensively, they sit 19th, allowing 115.2 points per contest. Anthony Davis remains their top performer, averaging 24.7 points, 11.6 rebounds, and 2.1 blocks this season. He’s supported by Kyrie Irving (24.7 points, 4.8 rebounds, 4.6 assists), Klay Thompson (14 points), and P.J. Washington (14.7 points, 7.8 rebounds), providing reliable secondary scoring.