Mavericks Drop Fifth Straight in Loss to Grizzlies in Injury-Plagued Matchup: 'We Couldn't Get Out of That Hole'

The Mavericks dropped their fifth straight game, falling to the Grizzlies 119-104 after losing momentum in the second quarter and struggling with turnovers late.

Photo: Mavs.com

MEMPHIS — The Dallas Mavericks (20-16) entered Monday night’s 119-104 loss against the Memphis Grizzlies (24-13) at FedEx Forum facing significant adversity. Without Luka Dončić (left calf strain) and Kyrie Irving (lumbar back sprain), the Mavericks leaned on a makeshift lineup in hopes of stealing a win on the road that featured Naji Marshall and Klay Thompson as the backcourt. Instead, the Mavs have lost five consecutive games entering the second night of a back-to-back.

Despite a promising start featuring a 12-point lead, Dallas could not overcome Jaren Jackson Jr.'s dominant performance and Memphis’ relentless ability to get to the free-throw line. Jackson, who has built an impressive All-Star campaign averaging 22.7 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 2.0 assists this season, set the tone with 35 points on a night Ja Morant and Desmond Bane headline the lengthy list of Grizzlies’ sidelined players.

Strong Start for Dallas

The Mavericks came out aggressive, racing to a 36-26 lead by the end of the first quarter. P.J. Washington set the tone early, scoring nine points in the opening frame by attacking downhill and converting on jump shots. Washington’s versatility shined as he mixed mid-range pull-ups with strong drives to the rim, exploiting mismatches in Memphis’ defensive rotations.

Not only did the Mavericks start a non-traditional backcourt with Marshall and Thompson, but they deployed a big frontcourt with Washington on the wing next to Maxi Kleber and Dereck Lively II. Kleber played 22 minutes, finishing with four points and two rebounds, but is viewed as a connective piece with his size and defensive versatility.

“To start with one big, we wanted to see one of the biggest lineups we could put out there against their offense,” Kidd explained. “I thought that group did a really good job getting us off to a good start. We had a great first quarter, but that second quarter set us back. We were still in the game, but we came out flat in the third.”

Washington finished with 17 points and 10 rebounds but struggled with efficiency as the game progressed—finishing the night shooting 7 of 22 from the floor. With Dončić and Irving sidelined, Washington acknowledged the need to adjust his offensive approach to help overcome the lack of two superstar guards who tend to control the game offensively.

“I’m just trying to be more aggressive, get to the rim more, find my teammates, and control the game,” Washington said. “I try to keep everyone’s confidence up and play with pace.”