Memphis Grizzlies at Dallas Mavericks Game Preview

WHO: Memphis Grizzlies (40-26, 12-21 away) at Dallas Mavericks (34-34, 22-13 home)

WHEN: 6:30 PM CT

WHERE: American Airlines Center – Dallas, TX

HOW TO WATCH/LISTEN: ESPN/Bally Sports Southeast/92.9 FM ESPN Memphis

INJURY REPORT:

MEMPHIS: Steven Adams (Out, RT Knee PCL Sprain), Brandon Clarke (Out, LT Achilles tear), Ja Morant (Out, Not With Team), Vince Williams Jr. (Out, Shoulder), Jake LaRavia (Out, Back Soreness)

DALLAS: Luka Doncic (Out, Thigh), A.J. Lawson (Out, Two-way player), Kyrie Irving (Questionable, Foot)

PROJECTED STARTING LINEUPS:

MEMPHIS: Tyus Jones, Desmond Bane, Dillon Brooks, Jaren Jackson Jr., Xavier Tillman

DALLAS: Jaden Hardy, Justin Holiday, Tim Hardaway Jr., Josh Green, Dwight Powell

Two days after defeating the Dallas Mavericks, the Memphis Grizzlies will take on their divisional foe once again. The Grizz pulled out a victory over the Mavs on Saturday night thanks to a 17-point fourth quarter from David Roddy. Dallas was without Kyrie Irving and Luka Dončić in Saturday’s matchup but still gave the Grizzlies everything they could handle.

Dončić is listed out again Monday with a thigh injury, while Irving is questionable for tonight’s matchup. After winning two straight at home, the Grizzlies travel to Dallas where they have not won since December 4, 2021. Memphis is 1-11 in their last 12 road games and Dallas is 6-6 in their last 12 home games. The Mavericks are 3-8 this season when they are without Dončić. Can the Grizzlies get a win on the road to pick up their third straight victory? Or will the Mavericks prevail without their Slovenian star? Here are the keys to tonight’s game.

Next Man Up

On Saturday night, it was Roddy who stepped up with the big fourth quarter to propel the Grizzlies to victory. Roddy was phenomenal as he gave Memphis the much-needed energy burst to lead the late-game comeback. Roddy, who received playing time to start the year, had seen his rotation minutes dwindle as he spent time with the Memphis Hustle. The Grizzlies have lived by the “next-man-up” motto over the last few years and pride themselves on their drafting ability and roster depth. Roddy’s minutes have varied from game to game but on Saturday, Taylor Jenkins moved to a nine-man rotation and kept Roddy on the court for the entire fourth quarter. Seeing Jenkins move off his regular rotation patterns was a welcome sight for Memphis fans.

Roddy may not have the career game he had on Saturday, but he flashed an improved jumper, higher defensive energy and understanding, and better off-the-dribble creation. While Ziaire Williams has struggled to find the same success in his limited minutes, the Grizzlies have other young players that can step up if called upon. Jake LaRavia and Vince Williams are both out for Monday’s contest, but Kennedy Chandler and Kenneth Lofton Jr. could both see action if players fall into foul trouble. Roddy might have solidified himself in the rotation after Saturday’s performance, but Memphis will still need other players to step up in the coming weeks as the regular season concludes. 

Takeover Trip

Jaren Jackson Jr. has been featured as a primary option since Ja Morant stepped away from the team and yet it does not seem like he has exploded as many Grizzlies fans expected. Jackson’s field goal attempts are higher and more consistent but his field goal percentage is not particularly high. Over the last four games, JJJ has averaged 21.3 points and 7.3 rebounds on 43.1/35.0/82.4 shooting splits.

Against a team like the Mavericks that often goes small, Jackson should dominate. At times on Saturday, he used his size to see over opponents and get into the paint but Jackson only shot 3-12. With Christian Wood and Dwight Powell as Dallas’s primary bigs, Jackson should get clean looks all night and maybe, unlike Saturday, they will fall.  

Prediction

This decision is tough since Irving is listed as questionable. On the one hand, it took a Roddy masterclass for the Grizzlies to pull out the victory at home on Saturday. On the other, Memphis’s top two players shot a combined 11-30 from the field and 2-10 from three. The Grizzlies are not a team to trust on the road. Whether they hold a large lead or not, Memphis seems to struggle away from the FedEx Forum, especially in the fourth quarter.

For Memphis to win, it is going to take improved performances from Jackson and Bane, as well as someone, perhaps Roddy, to step up and provide a scoring boost off the bench. The Grizzlies are catching a break playing the Mavericks without Dončić twice, but it might be exactly what Memphis needs to cure their road woes. 

Memphis 113, Dallas 105