Both the Memphis Grizzlies and Dallas Mavericks were without their star players, as Ja Morant, Luka Doncic, and Kyrie Irving were all out of Saturday night’s game. However, there weren’t any shortage of fireworks here.
The Grizzlies and Mavericks started things out going back and forth, a reflection of the feistiness of a Dallas squad without its star players. It wasn’t a total eventful quarter, though Jaren Jackson Jr. had this monster block on Jaden Hardy early in the game:
The 2nd quarter belonged to Desmond Bane and Xavier Tillman, who combined for 17 of the team’s 27 points in the opening period. Tillman’s energy was on point, and he put himself in the right spots to receive dimes for buckets inside. Bane was showing off his improved handle, including this spicy mid-range jumper after an array of dribble moves to stumble his defender:
The Grizzlies started the 2nd quarter out strong. They got solid contributions off the bench from Luke Kennard, Santi Aldama, and David Roddy. The Grizzlies’ rookie was aggressive attacking the rim, scoring 7 points in the first half. Tillman continued his carnage on the glass, hauling in 5 first-half offensive rebounds — though his 3 turnovers came from his inability to hang onto the ball. The yin-and-yang of a Desmond Bane and Luke Kennard backcourt was cool. Bane excelled in a go-to scoring role, Kennard spaced the floor and hit open outside shots, and both players served as the playmakers of the offense. The Grizzlies closed the half with a 56-50 lead.
The Grizzlies had a huge pair of defensive possessions where Jaren Jackson swatted the heck out of shots, but the rest of the quarter was rather lackluster. The Grizzlies’ offense was rather stagnant, and they couldn’t generate any advantages. The shots not falling seemed to get into their heads, as the Grizzlies’ defensive efforts weren’t great at all. Through the scoring firepower of Jaden Hardy and Tim Hardaway Jr., the Mavericks took a 83-77 lead going into the 4th quarter.
The Mavericks ended up extending their lead to double-digits early in the 4th quarter, as it looked like it’d be another case of the “4th quarter woes” for the Grizzlies. Then David Roddy entered the picture. He injected the game with much-needed energy — attacking the rim, running in transition, going after 50/50 balls, and knocking down outside shots. His efforts willed the Grizzlies back into the game, damn near singlehandedly. Desmond Bane helped seal the deal as well, knocking down a massive corner 3 and handling creation responsibilities.
The Grizzlies closed out the Mavericks for a 112-108 victory, as the entire arena chanted “Roddy” as if it was the WWF in the 1990’s.
Quick Takeaways
- David Roddy. We have to talk about David Roddy. In a game that looked pretty lifeless, a “going through the motions kind of game,” the Grizzlies needed someone to wreak havoc and simply give a damn. Roddy did just that, impacting the way in multiple facets and serving as a catalyst for the Grizzlies’ 4th-quarter surge. With the Grizzlies so depleted right now, they need this level of variance and upside in the rotation, and David Roddy might have sharpied himself into the rotation going forward.
- Need more 3’s from best shooters. The Grizzlies didn’t shoot all that well from 3, only connecting on 10 of their 38 three-point attempts. David Roddy’s 4-7 night from downtown elevated things a bit, but the Grizzlies only had 11 combined attempts from Bane and Kennard. It seems like nitpicking after a win, especially since they combined for 4-11 shooting, but given the state of the Grizzlies’ right now, I wish that number increased a bit more. Kennard was at the right number at around 6, but I wish they could find more ways to get Bane flirting with 8-10 three’s again.
- Desmond Bane, the creator. Desmond Bane is thrusted into more of a creator role in the absence of Ja Morant. Though it wasn’t perfect, primarily with his scoring at the rim, Bane looked more like the player he was prior to his toe injury. His movements downhill and shifting against defenders looked more sharp. He was also great at finding his teammates, generating 8 assists against only 3 turnovers. Injuries or not, for a Grizzlies team that needs creation — especially in the halfcourt — this is the kind of the Desmond Bane they have to have going forward.
These two teams will get a rematch, as the Memphis Grizzlies and Dallas Mavericks square off in Dallas on Monday night.