Not Again! Mavs Blow 16-Point Lead to Grizzlies as Luka Doncic Nears Return

With Luka Doncic and Ja Morant sidelined, the Memphis Grizzlies overcame the Dallas Mavericks' 16-point lead to ultimately win.

MEMPHIS — While Luka Doncic wasn't able to yet make his return to the lineup as he recovers from a left thigh strain, the Dallas Mavericks were led by Kyrie Irving against the Memphis Grizzlies, but it ultimately ended in a 112-108 loss.

There was a clear focus from the Grizzlies to apply aggressive ball pressure on Irving with Dillon Brooks, and to face-guard him when playing without the basketball. Irving found early success regardless, scoring 20 of the Mavericks' 60 first half points.

"Just make quick, quick decisions," Irving said of countering aggressive ball pressure. "Don't overthink it when they're putting that pressure on. In the first quarter, I felt like there were a few opportunities where I was just trying to draw fouls or put him out of position, but he was playing with his hands back and respectfully, so he got away with a few touches here and there. It only makes me better when I'm looking at it from the perspective of having guys pick me up full court or attempt to exhaust me out or tire me out. I welcome all those challenges...

Irving explained: "I think he did a great job tonight. But, moving forward, just seeing where I can learn from, just continue to make those quick decisions, and also get in the assist column for my teammates. I was trying to get a few assists tonight, but it just didn't happen, so next game."

Jaren Jackson Jr. often overpowered the Mavs' smaller framed frontcourt players when attacking the paint, resulting in him scoring 17 points in the first half. However, a combination of committing a flagrant foul and committing a technical foul helped Dallas to create some separation in the second quarter.

It remained a tightly contested matchup throughout the opening half as the Mavs led 60-57 at halftime. Jackson continued to have troubles with avoiding foul trouble after the break as he was called for his fifth personal foul midway throughout the third quarter. Memphis began to see the game slip away. 

The Mavs achieve a double-figure lead after Christian Wood threw down a one-handed dunk at the 5:39 mark of the third quarter. He scored a total of a six consecutive points to sustain Dallas' double-figure edge. Jaden Hardy provided a spark with some aggressive scoring production, too. 

After Irving took a stolen possession all the way for a fastbreak layup, the Mavs had established a 16-point lead with 1:04 left in the third quarter. Dallas entered the period holding an 86-73, which should afforded an opportunity to take control of the game. That did not end up happening. 

The Grizzlies opened the fourth quarter using a 12-3 run to make it a four-point game with 7:37 remaining in regulation. The Mavs' defensive experienced shortcomings in terms of being made to pay for leaving shooters open at times, not closing possessions on the boards, and fouling often. 

Luke Kennard cut the Mavs' lead to one on numerous scoring possessions as the fourth quarter had begun to wind down. Jackson then put the Grizzlies up by one after finishing on a paint touch after being fronted by a smaller defender. Demond Bane's finish with 1:29 left to play pushed Memphis up three, prompting the Mavs to call a timeout. 

The Mavs' clutch offensive execution came up short in a few pivotal moments. Irving was unable to score on a drive, then Reggie Bullock missed a 3-pointer on the following possession. Jackson finished a layup to give the Grizzlies a five-point edge with 17.1 seconds left, proving to be the difference. 

"I think it's a combination [of offense and defense]. We had great looks," Kidd said of the Mavs' fourth quarter offense. "I think Kai was 0-for-7 or 0-for-8 [in the fourth quarter], he had great looks, [his shots] just didn't go down."

Dallas was held to a staggeringly low scoring total in the final frame with 12 points. All three of the Mavs' made field goals in the fourth were contributed by Hardy. It was explained that Hardy didn't close the game because he injured his foot. He finished with 20 points on the night. 

"Hardy stepped on someone's foot when he was backtracking," Kidd said regarding why Hardy didn't close the game. "I felt and the rest of the coaching staff, looked at going with some experience once we thought he was hurt. Looking at that group that finished, pretty much finished in L.A. [Los Angeles]."

Irving had totaled 28 points and four rebounds, but didn't end up with an assist in his 33 minutes. He finished shooting 0-8 in the fourth quarter. He wore a boot on his right foot after re-aggravating a toe injury that had sidelined him for three consecutive games before returning to game action on Friday against the Los Angeles Lakers. 

"In those last seven minutes that I was out there, I felt like I shot some very make-able ones, but they were just long. We gave ourselves a chance. That's all I can ask for," Irving said. "We stayed course, but at the end of the day, we gotta take care of the controllable details out there, which is rebounding and staying in front of our man, and for the majority of the night, we did that. 

Christian Wood was another member of the Mavs to score a high volume as he totaled 20 points, nine rebounds, and six assists. Ultimately, Dallas proved unable to overcome giving up a staggering 22 second-chance points, resulting in being outscored by 16 in the category. Jackson totaled 28 points on the night. Santi Aldama wasn't far behind with 22 points and 14 rebounds. 

Even without Ja Morant in the lineup, the Grizzlies still had five double-figure scorers with a combined 50 from their top two contributors. The Mavs' defense continues to be a work-in-progress with few games remaining. They often left shooters open but still gave up offensive rebounds and failed to handle matchups inside the 3-point line. 

"Defensively, they got some offensive rebounds that we didn't come up with and so we have to be better," Kidd said. "But, we put ourselves [in a position to win] on the road against a very talented team. 12 points in the fourth is not going to help the cause. And so we gotta just be better on the offensive end."

After losing, the Mavs fall to 36-36 on the season, while the Grizzlies improve to 44-27. In a competitive Western Conference playoff seeding landscape, Dallas' inability to close out the game despite leading by as many as 16 points at one point could prove quite costly. 

The Mavs return home for a two-game stop with the first matchup being against the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday. 

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