The Memphis Grizzlies won by their largest margin of the season, defeating the
Dallas Mavericks 111-81 on Saturday night in American Airlines Center. The
Grizzlies improved to 25-39 on the season and 10-22 on the road. The Mavericks
fell to 27-25 on the year and are now 21-11 at home. Memphis won for the first
time in Dallas since Nov. 18, 2016 (80-64), and the season series is now split
1-1.
Dallas shot only 26-for-85 (.306) from the floor in the game, the lowest
percentage by a Grizzlies opponent this season. Memphis meanwhile made exactly
half their shots, shooting 39-for-78 (.500) from the field.
Jonas Valanciunas recorded his ninth double-double of the season with 20 points
and 10 rebounds while making 8-of-9 (.889) shots. Valanciunas now has churned
out a double-double in four of his six games in a Grizzlies uniform. Valanciunas
is averaging 18.8 points and 9.6 rebounds in six games since coming to Memphis.
Avery Bradley scored 15 points to go with five boards and five assists. Bradley
has scored at least 15 points in six of the last seven games. Rookie Jevon
Carter came off the bench to set a new career-high with 15 points (4-6 3P) to go
with two blocks. Joakim Noah added 12 points, eight rebounds and five assists
off the bench. The 6-11 center is averaging 15.2 points, 9.4 rebounds and 3.8
assists since the trade deadline. Mike Conley and C.J. Miles also scored 12
points, with Conley having now scored in double figures in 25-straight games.
Bruno Caboclo set career-highs with 11 rebounds and six assists, while also
scoring nine points.
Memphis made 14-of-34 (.412) three-pointers in the game, while Dallas was a
season-low 7-for-40 (.175). The Mavericks outrebounded the Grizzlies 13-4 on the
offensive boards, but Memphis finished with a 10-9 advantage in second chance
points. Dallas won the turnover battle 15-10, leading to 15 points off the
giveaways while Memphis scored nine. The Grizzlies dished out 30 assists
compared to 17 from the Mavericks. The Grizzlies have now shot at least 50
percent in 11 games this season, improving to 7-4 in those games.
Rookie Luka Doncic led all scorers with 22 points, but shot only 1-for-8 (.125)
from three-point range. Dwight Powell had 13 points to go with eight rebounds
and a couple steals. Tim Hardaway Jr. added 10 points.
The fourth quarter was played almost exclusively by the reserves, with Memphis
shooting a solid 8-for-19 (.421) while Dallas still struggled by going 6-for-21
(1-9 3P). The Grizzlies kept sharing the ball, handing out seven assists in the
period. Neither team pushed the tempo, with the Grizzlies scoring three
fastbreak points, the only ones in the quarter. Memphis outscored Dallas 21-14
in the period to ride out the clock for the win.
Memphis continued to score easily in the third quarter, going 10-for-19 (6-11
3P) from the floor. The Grizzlies also assisted on all 10 baskets. Dallas kept
struggling coming out of halftime, shooting 4-for-19 (3-11 3P) in the period.
Memphis outscored Dallas 28-18 in the quarter. Memphis rattled off a 15-2 run
over the last 4:38 of the quarter to carry a 90-67 lead into the fourth quarter.
The Grizzlies were in rhythm in the first half, going 21-for-40 (.525) from the
field while holding the Mavericks to just 16-for-45 (.356) shooting. Neither
team shot well from beyond the arc, as Memphis went 5-for-15 (.333) and Dallas
making 3-of-20 (.150). The Mavericks outrebounded the Grizzlies 8-3 on the
offensive glass during the half, but Memphis outscored Dallas 10-6 in second
chance points. Bradley (15), Valanciunas (15, 5-5 FG) and Conley (12) all scored
double-digit points in the half. Doncic had 16 points in the first half, already
surpassing his total (15) from the first meeting.
Memphis had no problems against Dallas’ defense to start the game, shooting
13-for-22 (.591) in the opening quarter while the Mavericks were 7-for-21
(.333). Both teams had success at the line, with the Mavericks going 6-for-8
(.750) and the Grizzlies making all five. Memphis outscored Dallas 18-10 in the
paint during the period. The Grizzlies went on a 9-0 run late in the first
quarter (from 2:51 to 42.5) to take a 33-21 lead into the second.
The Mavericks shooting issues continued in the second quarter, going 9-for-24
(.375) from the floor, including 2-of-12 (.167) from three. The Grizzlies
continued to operate efficiently, shooting 8-for-18 (3-9 3P) in the quarter and
passing out six assists. Conley and Doncic both dropped 10 points, and Memphis
led the entire quarter to take a 62-49 lead into halftime.
The Grizzlies conclude the back-to-back with a contest against the Oklahoma City
Thunder on Sunday, March 3, at 6 p.m. CT in Chesapeake Energy Arena. Tune in to
FOX Sports Southeast presented by Pinnacle Financial Partners or listen on 92.9
FM ESPN to follow the action.
Fans who want to support the Memphis Grizzlies and purchase single-game tickets
can do so now by calling (901) 888-HOOP or going online to
grizzlies.com/tickets. Single Game Tickets are also available for purchase at
the FedExForum Box Office, ticketmaster.com, online at grizzlies.com/tickets or
by calling 1-800-4NBA-TIX. For more information on the Grizzlies, visit
grizzlies.com, ‘like’ Memphis Grizzlies on Facebook or follow on Twitter and
Instagram (@memgrizz).
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