DALLAS (KNTU) Delon Wright scored 26 points, Justin Holiday added 20, and the Memphis Grizzlies beat the Dallas Mavericks 122-112 on Friday, April 5, at American Airlines Center.
The Mavs were without rookies Luka Doncic and Jalen Brunson. Doncic is still nursing a sore thigh that has plagued him over the last couple of weeks.
The Grizzlies (32-47) have beaten the Mavs three times, with the series finale on Sunday.
“We just didn’t play hard enough. I think that was the bottom line,” Mavs coach Rick Carlisle said. “It was similar to the last time we played these guys; they just play with more force.”
The Mavericks are the only team in the NBA that has not beaten the Grizzlies.
Justin Jackson continued to be a bright spot for the Mavs, scoring 19 points and registering a plus-14. Jackson was considered a “throw in” in the trade for Harrison Barnes, but he has been making a case for a roster spot for the Dallas next season.
Dirk Nowitzki scored 12 points, getting his first dunk of the season on a pick-and-roll in the first quarter.
“I got hit with a great pass, and I thought, ‘it’s now or never,'” Nowitzki said. “I put all the energy I had in my right leg, and squeezed it over the rim.”
It’s not known if this will be Nowitzki’s last season or if he will return for one more season.
“I know that one of his goals this season was to get a dunk because I don’t think he had any this year,” Carlisle joked. “So that’s a big highlight, it was one of the few.”
