The Dallas Mavericks returned home to downtown Dallas for a two-game homestand starting with the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday. The Mavericks’ level of despair matches the Grizzlies, who were 27-55 and received the ninth overall pick in Center Zach Edey last season. The Mavericks lost to the Grizzlies 122-111 at the American Airlines Center. Dallas fell to 32-32, while Memphis improved to 39-24.
Brandon Williams led the Mavericks with 31 points, five rebounds, and six assists. Naji Marshall followed up with 29 points, 17 rebounds, and 2 assists. Klay Thompson added 15 points, 4 rebounds, and 1 assist. Kessler Edwards had 13 points, 3 rebounds, and 3 assists. Spencer Dinwiddie scored 10 points, 3 rebounds, and 4 assists. Max Christie recorded 8 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 assists.
Dallas Mavericks-Memphis Grizzlies Recap
The Dallas Mavericks vs. Memphis Grizzlies game was short-handed. The Mavericks ruled out Anthony Davis with a left adductor strain, Daniel Gafford with a right knee sprain, Dereck Lively II with a right ankle stress fracture, Jaden Hardy with a right ankle sprain, Kai Jones with a left quad strain, Kyrie Irving with a torn ACL, Olivier-Maxence Prosper with a right wrist sprain, and PJ Washington with a right ankle sprain.
The Grizzlies ruled out Jaren Jackson Jr. with a left ankle sprain, Yuki Kawamura with right hamstring soreness, and Zyon Pullin with right knee patellar tendinopathy. The Grizzlies’ starting lineup featured Ja Morant, Desmond Bane, Jaylen Wells, Santi Aldama, and Zach Edey. The Grizzlies’ namesake lineup marked the first time these five players started a game together.
The Mavericks’ starting lineup featured Dante Exum, Max Christie, Klay Thompson, Naji Marshall, and Kessler Edwards. Mavericks Head Coach Jason Kidd said on Thursday that Thompson, 35, will play more minutes at some point this season. Kidd, 51, saw him play 34 minutes on Wednesday – the highest since his season-high 35 minutes on January 12, 2025.
The first quarter was a back-and-forth affair. Marshall shined with his work ethic on the court. Marshall got past the Grizzlies’ defenders. The Mavericks led 31-22 at the end of the first. The second quarter was on the equal side. Williams shined with his work, such as the corner three-pointers, while the Grizzles closed out the second-quarter scoring with a 12-4 run. The Mavericks took a 53-50 lead into halftime.
The third quarter saw the Grizzlies pick up where they had left off. Morant, Clarke, and the Grizzlies’ offense sparked several leads and ties. The Mavericks picked up the pace, thanks to Williams’ 24 points and a game-tying three-pointer. The Mavericks led 94-89 through three quarters. The fourth quarter also had leads and ties, but the Grizzlies took the lead and never looked back. The Grizzlies won 122-111 in regulation.
Mavericks vs. Grizzlies Highlights
The Dallas Mavericks vs. Memphis Grizzlies game featured multiple highlights, such as Klay Thompson’s father, Mychal Thompson, saying the Mavericks’ star shooting guard is “stuck in purgatory.” Mychal, 70, wonders what the Mavericks have to play for this season, as Dallas has gone 6-8 since the Luka Doncic trade and sits in 10th place in the Western Conference at 32-32.
For the Mavericks, the Utah Utes are hiring Mavericks assistant, Alex Jensen, as their next head coach, according to ESPN’s Jeff Borzello and Pete Thamel. Jensen, 48, is a native of Centerville, Utah, and a former standout player for the University of Utah. This will be Jensen’s second head coaching job. His first stint was in the NBA G League for the Canton Charge from 2011 to 2013.
And, for the Grizzlies, the Grizzlies’ magic trick turned out to be an offense from St. Joseph’s College of Maine in Standish, Maine. Scottie Pippen Jr. initially had concerns, as St. Joseph’s College of Maine’s offense didn’t involve pick-and-rolls and dribble-handoffs, but later grew fond of it following an introduction over the summer.
Final Thoughts
Damian Lillard tallied 34 points in leading the Milwaukee Bucks by the Dallas Mavericks, 137-107, at the Fiserv Forum on Wednesday. Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo combined for 66 points. The Mavericks were without nine injured players in their quest to beat a Bucks squad that saw Antetokounmpo become the 52nd player in NBA history to score at least 20,000 points.
Mavericks Head Coach Jason Kidd said that increased playing time had nothing to do with Kyrie Irving’s injury. Kidd, 51, objected to why Irving, 32, tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee during Monday’s game against the Sacramento Kings because he had been playing him too many minutes lately. Kidd added that he – and his coaching staff – want their stars to play as many minutes.
Former Mavericks Majority Owner Mark Cuban broke his silence on the Doncic trade on Friday. Cuban, 66, said in an interview with WFAA, the ABC affiliate in Dallas, Texas, that the team should’ve gotten a better deal for Doncic, 26, such as four unprotected first overall picks, Anthony Davis, and Max Christie, instead of just one first-round pick.
March is Women’s History Month, and the Mavericks kicked off the team’s Women’s History Month initiatives with the fourth annual Women’s Symposium at the Perot Museum of Nature and Science on March 4, 2025. The Women of Mavs Empowering Network (W.O.M.E.N.) Employee Resource Group hosted the sold-out event with Choctaw Casinos & Resorts. The event recognized several difference-makers in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex.
The Dallas Mavericks will conclude the two-game homestand against the Phoenix Suns on Sunday at 12:30 p.m. Central. Suns rookie Small Forward Ryan Dunn has embraced the grind on and off the court. Ryan, 22, supported his older brother Justin’s MLB journey as a pitcher for the Chicago White Sox. Justin, 29, made his MLB debut on September 22, 2019.
