‘Double-Header’: Mavs vs. Grizzlies Without Ja Morant - Playoff Prep?

What the upcoming home-and-home series between the Dallas Mavericks and Memphis Grizzlies means for both teams.

Michael Mulford | Mar 10, 2023

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Dallas Mavericks

Following a 113-106 loss to the New Orleans Pelicans on Wednesday, the Dallas Mavericks head into a home-and-home matchup with the Memphis Grizzlies, starting on Saturday night on the road.

Since the Kyrie Irving trade, the Mavs holds a 5-7 record, which can be seen as disappointing but all seven losses are by single digits and several could have went Dallas' way down the stretch.

Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic and his left thigh injury leaves his status for the upcoming matchups with the Grizzlies in limbo, which doesn't bode well for Dallas who has fallen from the No. 5 seed to the No. 8 seed in just the last two days and sits only 1.5 games ahead of the Los Angeles Lakers and New Orleans Pelicans.

For the Grizzlies, they've hit the toughest stretch of their season with Ja Morant's indefinite absence looming over the team after flashing a gun on his Instagram live on Saturday night, which will leave Memphis without their superstar for at least the next three games. Add in the losses of Steven Adams and Brandon Clarke for the remainder of the regular season and the Grizzlies look like a new bunch out there.

Since the Adams' absence began on Jan. 23 due to a PCL sprain, the Grizzlies have lost 11 of their last 19 games and the numbers speak volumes to his importance to their success.

Memphis is averaging eight less points per game and nine less rebounds in Adams' 19-game absence, while opponents are shooting a higher percentage from the floor and grabbing more rebounds per game without the Grizzlies big man.

Though fresh off a much-needed win on Thursday night against their rival, the Golden State Warriors, the Grizzlies face a tough test in the foreseeable future without Morant, Adams, and Clarke as their extended hold on the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference has vanished as the Sacramento Kings has jumped them in the standings.

With just a month left in the regular season, both the Mavericks and Grizzlies face uncertainty and questions heading into the postseason.

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Published Mar 10, 2023

MICHAEL MULFORD

Michael Mulford is a writer/editor for Dallas Basketball, where he extensively covers the Dallas Mavericks. He also covers the Chicago Bulls as the Managing Editor for Bulls Wire of USA Today Sports Media Group. Mulford grew up in the Dallas-Fort Worth area and graduated from the University of North Texas in 2016 with a bachelor’s degree in Recreation, Event, and Sports Management. He began his pursuit of sports writing in 2017 with Dallas Sports Fanatic, where he covered the Mavericks’ G League affiliate, Texas Legends. He then became the Managing Editor of Dallas Sports Fanatic just one year later and has covered the Mavericks as a credentialed media member since 2018, including covering numerous playoff games between 2021-22 and covering the team at NBA Summer League in Las Vegas in 2019. In his time covering the Mavericks, Mulford has conducted numerous interviews for exclusive stories including with Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, Mavericks legend Dirk Nowitzki, former Maverick and current VP of Basketball Ops Michael Finley, former Mavericks GM Donnie Nelson, and more. You can follow and interact with Mulford on Twitter at @TheMulf.