‘No One’s Coming to Save Us’: Dallas Mavericks Fall To Memphis Grizzlies, Remain Worst Western Conference Team

Grant AfsethNovember 7, 2025November 7, 2025no comment

Ja Morant, Memphis Grizzlies, Dallas Mavericks, NBA

Photo by Wes Hale/Getty Images

The Dallas Mavericks’ season continued to spiral Friday night as Ja Morant and rookie Cedric Coward each scored 21 points to lead the Memphis Grizzlies to a 118–104 victory in an NBA Cup Group B matchup at FedExForum.

The loss marked Dallas’ fourth straight and seventh in nine games, keeping them anchored at the bottom of the Western Conference standings. Memphis, which had dropped four in a row entering the night, built a 74–51 halftime lead behind 10-of-21 three-point shooting and never looked back.

Max Christie led Dallas with 18 points on 7-of-12 shooting, hitting four of seven from beyond the arc. Naji Marshall followed with 16 points, seven rebounds, and four assists off the bench, while P.J. Washington added 14 points and six boards. Cooper Flagg contributed 12 points, six rebounds, and two assists, continuing to show flashes of poise and versatility.

D’Angelo Russell posted nine points and five assists in 16 minutes, while Daniel Gafford was held scoreless in 12 minutes before leaving with soreness in his right ankle. The Mavericks’ bench outscored the starters 51–53, fueled by energy minutes from Cissé Moussa, who recorded 10 points and eight rebounds in just 14 minutes, and Ryan Nembhard, who added 11 points and three assists.

Overall, Dallas shot 48.8% from the field but struggled again from long range (10-of-39, 25.6%) and the free-throw line (10-of-16, 62.5%).

Jason Kidd Says Team Must “Keep Fighting”

As the Mavericks fell behind by as many as 35 points late in the third quarter, the body language on the floor reflected a team struggling to find cohesion on both ends. Memphis dictated the pace, exploiting Dallas’ rotations in transition and punishing closeouts with drive-and-kick sequences that produced open looks from the perimeter. The Mavericks’ defensive discipline — a strength early in the season — collapsed under the pressure.

Afterward, head coach Jason Kidd acknowledged the team’s inability to respond during Memphis’ decisive stretch.

“It just happens that we’re struggling early,” Kidd said. “Sometimes it happens in the middle of the season. Sometimes it happens at the end. So we’ve just gotta keep fighting.”

Kidd noted that while the Mavericks won the final two quarters 53–44, the game was effectively decided in the first half. The Grizzlies’ combination of pace and ball movement exposed breakdowns in Dallas’ pick-and-roll coverage, while the Mavericks’ own offensive rhythm sputtered once again.

“The third and fourth, we started to see shots drop for us,” Kidd said. “But in the second quarter, we give up 40 points. We can’t — our defense has been there for us up to this point without us making shots. They took advantage of that tonight.”

The Mavericks will have little time to regroup before facing the Washington Wizards on Saturday — the same team that handed them their first home loss of the season on Oct. 24. The Wizards entered the weekend with a 1–8 record, their lone win coming against Dallas.

Moussa Cissé Provides Energy in Return to Memphis

For a team searching for life, Moussa Cissé delivered a spark. Making his return to the building where he starred collegiately at Memphis, the two-way center played just 14 minutes but made them count — finishing with 10 points, eight rebounds, and multiple hustle plays that ignited the Mavericks’ late push. His activity in transition, rim running, and second-chance efforts briefly gave Dallas momentum in the fourth quarter, trimming the deficit from 35 to 13 before Memphis closed it out.

Kidd praised Cissé’s energy and competitive spirit after the game.

“He plays hard,” Kidd said. “That’s how he plays. He’s out there to prove that he belongs. He’s hungry, and that’s what stands out when you watch him play.”

Cissé said returning to Memphis gave the night personal meaning, especially with family and friends in attendance. He explained that his focus was simply on doing whatever the team needed — which, in his view, was bringing energy.

“I mean, it felt good,” Cissé said. “I’ve been playing here for like two years, so coming back here felt like coming home. I had a lot of family and friends here tonight — I think about six people. Some of them hit me up late to come back, but they made it.”

He added that his mindset never wavered while waiting for his opportunity to check in.

“Most definitely — that’s who I am,” he said. “I like to bring energy every time. That’s what we were missing. I was over there waiting for my number to be called, and I knew when I got in, I was going to bring that.”

Even in a blowout, Cissé said he saw lessons to build on.

“I feel like we just gotta believe, you know? Trust the coaches, trust each other, and go over there and have fun,” he said. “I feel like we’re not having fun. We just gotta go out, play hard, take care of ourselves, and play basketball the right way.”

Max Christie Takes Accountability After Loss

While Cissé provided a bright spot off the bench, Max Christie was one of the few consistent contributors in the starting lineup. The second-year guard continues to solidify his place in the rotation with his scoring efficiency, but after Friday’s loss, his focus was on leadership and accountability rather than stats.

Christie said the team’s lack of energy from the opening tip was glaring and that the conversation in the locker room at halftime was blunt.

“We were all communicating at halftime, asking what we could do,” Christie said. “No one’s coming to save us. This isn’t even on the coaches — this is on the players. The coaches are giving us the answers to the test with the scouting reports. We’re just not executing.”

He elaborated that the Mavericks cannot continue attributing poor performances to injuries or lineup absences.

“It doesn’t help, but that’s out of our control,” Christie said. “If guys are injured, they’re injured. They’re working their tails off to come back. But we can’t come up here every loss and say, ‘If we had AD or Kyrie, we’d be better.’ That’s unacceptable. We have to figure it out with who we’ve got right now.”

Christie said he felt the defensive effort was particularly disappointing.

“We fouled too much — they got 28 free throws to our 16,” he said. “Typically we hang our hat on defense, and we’ve been solid this year. But tonight was an anomaly for sure.”

Despite the lopsided result, he still saw some positives to build from.

“At the start, we actually played well offensively — got a lot of open corner threes,” Christie said. “We had good looks throughout the game. The problem was our defense — they were way too comfortable. It felt like they made every shot they took, and that’s because we didn’t pressure them. That starts with me as the point of attack. I’ve got to set the tone defensively.”

Offensive Struggles Continue for Dallas

For a team built on balance and defensive toughness, Dallas’ offensive limitations have been glaring through the first three weeks of the season. The Mavericks entered Friday’s game ranked last in scoring (106.3 points per game), last in offensive rating (103.2), and near the bottom of the league in both field goal percentage (44.0) and three-point percentage (31.5). Even with a top-five defensive rating, their lack of shotmaking and rhythm in the halfcourt has proven too much to overcome.

Kidd acknowledged the problem plainly after another inefficient shooting performance.

“It’s just that our shooting is horrendous,” Kidd said. “We can’t make shots on a consistent basis. We’re getting great looks. But that’s showing our defense is keeping us in games. We just have to keep fighting.”

Adding to the challenge, center Daniel Gafford exited after 12 minutes due to soreness in his previously injured right ankle. Kidd said the team will reassess his status in Washington. “Yeah, sore right ankle,” Kidd said. “We’ll see how he feels in D.C. That’s just the nature of this thing.”

With Gafford sidelined, Washington forced to play undersized minutes at center, and Davis and Dereck Lively II still unavailable, the Mavericks’ frontcourt rotation remains paper-thin.

“I’m just kind of holding the fort down for all the bigs right now, until everybody gets back,” Gafford said earlier in the day — a sentiment that now feels even heavier.

For a team still trying to establish identity in a post-Luka Dončić era, the message from within the locker room was unanimous: there are no shortcuts coming.

And as Christie put it — no one’s coming to save them.

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Grant Afseth

Senior Writer

Grant Afseth is a Senior Writer for DallasHoopsJournal.com, where he leads in-depth coverage of the Mavericks, Wings, and more. Between a focus on the latest news, closer looks at games, front office strategy, and more, Afseth provides objective coverage. Afseth contributes broader NBA coverage across platforms and has been cited in national outlets for his reporting and analysis. With nearly a decade of journalism experience, Afseth has covered the NBA and WNBA for multiple major outlets, including Athlon Sports, BallIsLife, Sportskeeda, and RG.org. He previously reported on the Indiana Pacers for CNHI’s Kokomo Tribune and the Mavericks for FanNation.

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