The beaten and battered Dallas Mavericks returned home to play the Memphis Grizzlies, missing four players from their usual starting five and a few other rotation players. Memphis was missing Jaren Jackson Jr.
With those absences, Dallas threw out their 34th different starting lineup of the season with Dante Exum, Max Christie, Klay Thompson, Naji Marshall, and Kessler Edwards, while Memphis started Ja Morant, Desmond Bane, Jaylen Wells, Santi Aldama, and Zach Edey.
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Dallas Mavericks guard Brandon Williams
Dallas Mavericks guard Brandon Williams (10) reacts after scoring against the Memphis Grizzlies during the first half at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images / Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images
Dallas and Memphis went back and forth for the first few minutes, exchanging the lead seven times in as many minutes to start. Ja Morant started just 1/6, while Naji Marshall got downhill and attacked the basket on the other end. That allowed Dallas to take the lead by a few possessions midway through the first quarter.
Memphis got the lead down to one before the end of the quarter, but Dallas went on an 8-0 run to close the quarter, getting six points from Spencer Dinwiddie, to take a 31-22 lead heading into the second quarter.
The Mavs got the lead into double digits early in the second quarter, but then both offenses dried up horrifically. Just two points were scored over about a two-minute span, but Memphis eventually worked the lead down to four after a three by Jaylen Wells, but aggressive play from Naji Marshall and Caleb Martin helped extend the last past double digits again.
After the Mavericks built the lead to 11, Memphis went on an 11-2 run to get back within one, as Ja Morant finally started to see some shots fall. Brandon Williams had two free throws to give a little cushion, and Dallas had a 53-50 lead at halftime. Williams had a spectacular first half with 17 points to lead all scorers.
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Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant
Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant (12) dribbles during the first quarter against the Dallas Mavericks at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images / Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images
Memphis quickly tied the game to start the second half; then Desmond Bane got to the free-throw line as they retook the lead. Dallas' starters were struggling to score, so they brought Brandon Williams back into the game. He continued to give them the spark they needed, keeping the Mavs on pace with the Grizzlies. They shouldn't stop Zach Edey from rolling to the rim, but Williams hit a three in transition on the wing to tie the game midway through the third.
Dallas briefly retook the lead on a transition take foul and then a three from Max Christie before Memphis tied it again. That would be a theme of the rest of the quarter, as a team would take a lead, and the opponent would tie it. In the last six minutes of the quarter, there would be four ties and a few lead changes, but Dallas would take a 94-89 lead into the fourth quarter thanks to a banked-in heave from Dante Exum as the clock was expiring.
Memphis bounced back and took the lead early in the fourth, as Spencer Dinwiddie missed a dunk, which led to the Grizzlies getting an easy bucket on the other end. But Kessler Edwards tied the game again with a three out of a timeout. That was just the latest in a wild back-and-forth affair.
Naji Marshall started to carry the torch for the Mavs, while Ja Morant and Desmond Bane led the way for Memphis. A banked-in floater gave the Grizzlies a two-point lead with about four minutes to go and forced a timeout. Brandon Clarke missed a lob to push the lead to four, but Desmond Bane nailed a three from straight away to push the lead to five instead. Brandon Williams scored his 30th point of the night to briefly get it back down to one possession, but Clarke cleaned up a miss by Bane to wipe that away.
Ja Morant pushed the lead to six and quickly to eight in the final minute. A three with about 30 seconds to go would end it, and the Grizzlies would win 122-111.
Dallas wasn't very efficient from the floor, shooting just 38.5% overall. But they stayed alive by shooting 15/41 from three-point range compared to 8/21 for Memphis. But this was a wild game featuring 14 lead changes and 11 ties. The Grizzlies dominated the glass 66-53, taking advantage of no available bigs for the Mavs.
The Mavericks were led by Brandon Williams, who put in a career-high 31 points on a wildly efficient 10/15 shooting. Naji Marshall wasn't far behind, with an equally absurd 29 points and 17 rebounds. Klay Thompson (15 points, 6/19 shooting), Kessler Edwards (13 points), and Spencer Dinwiddie (10 points, 2/12 shooting) were also in double figures.
Memphis was led by Ja Morant, who turned it on down the stretch to finish with 31 points, though Desmond Bane was right there with 27 points and a career-high 16 rebounds. Brandon Clarke (17 points) and Vince Williams Jr. (12 points) were the only other Grizzlies in double figures, though Zach Edey had 8 points and 13 rebounds.
Dallas hosts the Phoenix Suns on Sunday afternoon next.
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